Chris Masse’s read on Penn State-USC starts with a simple truth: the Trojans have the edge where it matters most, and the Nittany Lions have a mess to sort out on offense.
Penn State’s attack has gone cold in a hurry. Masse says the Lions have managed just one meaningful touchdown over the last six quarters, and the problems run deep.
Rocco Becht, in his view, “looks like a poor man's Tom Bill;” the ground game has been a non-factor; and without Koby Howard, the receiving group has thinned out badly. As Masse put it, the wideouts look “like the Jackson Five minus Michael.”
The result is an offense that feels stuck in neutral.
USC, by contrast, keeps moving the ball. Lincoln Riley’s reputation on that side of the ball remains intact, even if his defenses have long been another story.
The Trojans are averaging 468 yards per game, and their 25-point output against Washington last week was their lowest of the season. Still, they’ve topped 20 points in every game since late in the 2024 season.
Jayden Maiava is a major reason why, with 5,455 passing yards over the last two years. Advantage: USC.
The Penn State defense hasn’t exactly rescued the situation. After a rough outing against Wisconsin, Masse says the unit somehow got even worse against Northwestern, surrendering 418 rushing yards.
Tackling has been a major issue, there’s no real pass rush, and the whole group has looked overwhelmed. USC’s defense is a different kind of story.
D’Anton Lynn has made that side of the ball respectable over the last two years, but the Trojans still rank in the bottom five of the Big Ten in yards and points allowed. Even so, they showed some backbone against Washington after falling behind 21-10 early in the third quarter and didn’t give up another point.
Advantage: Penn State.
Special teams tilt toward USC as well. Penn State’s situation is shaky enough that even a Ryan Barker miss stands out.
Nathan Tiyce has shown decent placement on his punts, but the distance is still lacking, and Zay Robinson remains the one steady piece in the return game. For USC, Caden Chittenden has been steadier this year after missing seven field goals last season, going 6 of 7 so far.
Lachlan Carrigan has been a weapon too, averaging 49.3 yards on 10 punts and landing half of them inside the 20. Masse also flags Trent Mosley as a real threat, noting he leads the Big Ten with a 31.6-yard punt return average and has already taken one back 86 yards for a touchdown.
Advantage: USC.
When it comes to coaching and intangibles, Masse’s view is blunt. He likes D’Anton Lynn, but says he can’t play or tackle for Penn State.
On Matt Campbell, he argues that taking Iowa State’s approach into the Big Ten is “about as good of an idea as Coke was changing its formula in the 80s.” On the USC side, he calls Lincoln Riley a good coach but one he has long considered overrated.
Even so, Riley’s overall record - 90-28 at both stops - is hard to ignore. The bigger question, according to Masse, is that he still hasn’t taken USC to the next level.
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn State is heading into Saturday nights White Out with a lot more on the line than usual, and not just because No. 19 USC is coming to Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions have spent the past couple weeks trying to steady themselves after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, results that have put a spotlight on a season that was supposed to feel more settled by now.
USC arrives with the kind of profile that can make an already charged environment feel even heavier. Lincoln Rileys team is 5-1 and has flashed the offensive punch that has become its calling card, even if the defense has left room for concern. For Penn State, the White Out is no longer just about pageantry and atmosphere. Its a chance to halt the slide before the questions around Matt Campbells tenure grow any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]