Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526526
1 4 O C T O B E R 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 USC Looks Like A Complete Team This Year RYAN SNYDER: We'll learn a lot more about the Trojans when they travel to Michigan on Sept. 21, but after their im- pressive 27-20 victory over LSU in Week 1, I think they have to be the choice here. L e t 's s t a r t w i t h the ironic twist that D 'A n t o n L y n n i s quickly becoming one of the top defensive co o rd i n a to rs i n t h e n a t i o n . T h e fo r m e r Nittany Lion corner- back inherited a USC defense that last year surrendered 48 points to Notre Dame, 49 to California and 52 to Washington. The Tro- jans also gave up 41 points at Colorado, a game that turned sus- penseful in the final minutes even though USC led by 27 mid- way through the third quarter. There's still a lot of work ahead, but Lynn, w h o a r r i v e d f r o m UCLA in December, appears to have made a dramatic difference already. The Trojans are tackling better, and they appear to have a deeper talent pool than in years past. Holding 13th-ranked LSU to 20 points was a good early sign that their defense is on the right track. And while I think Penn State has the better team in many areas, Lincoln Riley is one of the game's best coaches for a reason. The Trojans may have lost a Heisman Trophy winner in Caleb Williams, but Miller Moss has the potential to be one of the game's best quarterbacks as well, which is why I think we'll see a very entertaining contest at the Los Angeles Me- morial Coliseum next month. We still have a lot to learn about both teams, but as of the end of Week 2, both Penn State and USC looked like they had the potential to be playoff teams. I don't think you can say that about any of Penn State's other remaining road opponents. Don't Sleep On The Badgers GREG PICKEL: This wouldn't be much of a debate if we both picked USC, even though the Trojans are the obvious selection, being the No. 11 team in the Associated Press poll heading into Week 3. Fortunately for me (and unfortunately for Penn State), there's another upcoming road game against a more familiar Big Ten opponent that could end up being just as tough. I'm talking about the Nittany Lions' visit to Wisconsin on Oct. 26. The Badgers opened their season with a 28- 14 victory over West- e r n M i c h i ga n . T h a t game wasn't nearly as noteworthy as the Trojans' win over LSU, but Wisconsin figures to be trending up in Luke Fickell's second full season, and Camp Randall Stadium is al- ways one of the tough- est road venues in the conference. What's more, Penn State's visit will take place at an opportune moment as far as the hosts are concerned. The Nittany Lions go to USC, then have a bye, then head to Madison right before facing Ohio State. It's the prototypical sandwich game, and consid- ering how up-and-down James Franklin's teams have been historically coming off a bye week, there is plenty of reason for concern. The visitors are likely to be favored, perhaps even by double digits, but the Badgers will have been battled tested after facing Alabama and USC in September. Do I think Wisconsin will beat Penn State? I do not. Do I think the game will prove to be more challenging than the matchup with the Trojans a couple of weeks earlier? I do. It's not by a wide margin, but the time of year, and the time that it falls on the schedule both lead me to believe Penn State could find itself in a letdown spot at just the wrong moment. Which Of Penn State's Remaining Road Games Will Pose The Toughest Challenge? Point – Counterpoint Lincoln Riley and USC opened the season with an impressive 27-20 win over LSU. PHOTO COURTESY USC ATHLETICS Luke Fickell got his second full season at Wisconsin off to a winning start with a 28-14 victory over Western Michigan. PHOTO COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS