Saturday’s game between USC and No. 4 Penn State lost a bit of its luster last weekend when USC fell to Minnesota 24-17. USC’s second second of the season knocked the then-No. 11 Trojans all the way out of the AP Top 25. So, what could’ve been a clash of top-10 teams is instead a meeting between two brand-name programs seemingly headed in different directions.
There has been plenty of reminiscing this week about the last time these teams met. It was one of the best Rose Bowls ever played as USC outlasted Penn State 52-49 in a 2017 New Year’s Day thriller. The game featured 35 players who went on to play in the NFL with USC’s Sam Darnold throwing for 453 yards and five touchdowns, while Penn State running back Saquon Barkley had 249 total yards and three scores of his own.
But reminiscing about the days of old has been far too prevalent when talking about a USC program that hasn’t won a conference championship since 2017 — a title win that ended a decade-long drought after the Trojans won at least a share of seven straight conference crowns from 2002 to 2008 as well as two national titles.
While that level of success is difficult to attain, most everyone believed USC would take major steps toward contending on a national basis after it lured Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma in 2021. After all, Riley came to Los Angeles fresh off leading the Sooners to three College Football Playoff appearances in five seasons. As we approach the halfway point of Riley’s third season leading the USC program, however, we’re all still waiting.
A promising start that saw the Trojans win the Pac-12 South in Riley’s first season ended when Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams came up limping in the Pac-12 Championship against Utah thanks to a hamstring…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usc-vs-penn-state-a-turning-point-for-lincoln-riley-time-for-trojans-coach-to-prove-worth-with-key-win/
Author : Tom Fornelli
Publish date : 2024-10-10 14:37:15
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