Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1524108
8 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he last time Penn State played a regular-season football game in Los Angeles, James Franklin was a freshman quar- terback at East Stroudsburg University, and most of his current players were still at least a decade away from being born. The Nittany Lions faced USC on Sept. 14, 1991. It was the sec- ond meeting in a four-game nonconference series that bridged Penn State's independent and Big Ten eras. The Lions were independents when they lost to two of the less-celebrated in- carnations of the Pac-10's most storied football program on the road in 1990 and '91. After a gap year, the series resumed with games at Beaver Stadium in 1993 and '94. By that time, the Nit- tany Lions were Big Ten members, and they won both contests. Three decades ago, it would have been preposterous to sug- gest that someday Penn State and USC would meet as mem- bers of the same conference, but … well … here we are. When the Nittany Lions visit the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 12, the game could well have a bearing on who gets to play for the Big Ten championship, as well as whether one of these teams — or both — will take part in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. USC's addition was part of a raid on the Pac-12 that ended up splintering the venerable conference while bringing the Big Ten's membership to 18 schools. The Lions will play host to two of the other new additions — UCLA on Oct. 5 and Washington on Nov. 9 — while their first Big Ten game against Oregon will have to wait until 2025 when the Ducks venture to State College, a place they haven't been since 1964. Penn State will be angling for its first CFP berth this fall, and whether you regard its upcoming slate an impediment or an accelerant depends on whose schedule-rating algorithm you believe. The Nittany Lions' schedule has been rated the nation's 14th-toughest by College Football News, but it's 45th according to Pro Football Focus. This much is certain: The Lions will face nine opponents that reached the postseason last year: West Penn State lost both of its previous games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, falling to the Trojans in 1990 and '91. The Lions are set to return on Oct. 12. PHOTO BY KLOTZ PHOTOGRAPHY Big Ten expansion has brought PSU a whole new set of challenges, including an upcoming game in a city it hasn't visited in decades L.A. STORY M A T T H E R B | M AT T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M