Wk 6 · 2026

USC Trojans at Penn State Nittany Lions — Sat, Oct 10

Sat, Oct 10 · Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA

Weather

No forecast yet. This one is 40 days away and has no kickoff time yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.

#14 USC Trojans

Big Ten · 1-0

TBDET

PSU -1.5 · total 56.5 DraftKings

Ratings differential PSU by 1.0

#18 Penn State Nittany Lions

Big Ten · no games yet

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. USC is ranked #14 (AP Top 25 · 2026-08-17). Penn State is ranked #18 (AP Top 25 · 2026-08-17).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

USC: +10.9#15

Efficiency margin

Penn State: +9.5#22

USC: 34.6

Offense (pts/100)

Penn State: 30.8

USC: 23.6

Defense (pts/100)

Penn State: 21.3

USC: 2076.0

Pace (plays/g)

Penn State: 65.5

USC: 6.64

Yards / play

Penn State: no data

USC: 6.00

Yards / play allowed

Penn State: no data

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

USC: 42.0

Points / game

Penn State: no data

USC: 26.0

Points allowed

Penn State: no data

USC: 505

Yards / game

Penn State: no data

USC: no data

Yards allowed

Penn State: no data

USC: no data

Pass yds allowed

Penn State: no data

USC: no data

Rush yds allowed

Penn State: no data

USC: 1.00

Turnovers / game

Penn State: no data

From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

USC form

W 42-26vs SJSU

2026 season

Penn State form

No completed games on record.

USC this season

Straight up1-0 · 100% (1 games)

Against the spread0-1 · 0% (1 games)

Over / under1-0 · 100% (1 games)

Penn State this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 4

Opponent	USC	Penn State
Rutgers Big Ten	at Wk 3 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Washington Big Ten	vs Wk 5 · scheduled preview	at Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Wisconsin Big Ten	at Wk 8 · scheduled preview	vs Wk 4 · scheduled preview
Maryland Big Ten	vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview	at Wk 13 · scheduled preview

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, USC leads 2–1 · Penn State won the last one

3 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 4.7 points toward USC

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2024	2024-10-12	Penn State 33 — 30 USC	at USC	Penn State
2016	2017-01-02	USC 52 — 49 Penn State	neutral	USC bowl/CFP
2008	2009-01-01	Penn State 24 — 38 USC	neutral	USC bowl/CFP

USC leaders 2025 regular season

Passing	Jayden Maiava QB #14	247/373, 3431 YDS, 23 TD, 8 INT
	Husan Longstreet QB #6	13/15, 103 YDS, 1 TD
Rushing	King Miller RB #8	131 CAR, 873 YDS, 7 TD
	Waymond Jordan RB #2	88 CAR, 576 YDS, 5 TD
	Eli Sanders RB #1	47 CAR, 264 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving	Makai Lemon WR #6	79 REC, 1156 YDS, 11 TD
	Ja'Kobi Lane WR #8	49 REC, 745 YDS, 4 TD
	Lake McRee TE #87	30 REC, 450 YDS, 4 TD
	Tanook Hines WR #16	28 REC, 398 YDS, 2 TD

Defense

Tackles	Desman Stephens II LB #8	83
	Eric Gentry LB #18	76
	Christian Pierce S #6	58
Sacks	Braylan Shelby DE #10	4.5
	Kameryn Crawford DE #1	3.5
	Jide Abasiri DT #97	3.5
Interceptions	Bishop Fitzgerald S #19	5
	Jamaal Jarrett DT #99	1
	Braylan Shelby DE #10	1

full roster and per-player history

Penn State leaders 2025 regular season

Passing	Drew Allar QB #15	103/159, 1100 YDS, 8 TD, 3 INT
	Ethan Grunkemeyer QB #17	100/144, 1079 YDS, 6 TD, 4 INT
Rushing	Kaytron Allen RB #13	210 CAR, 1303 YDS, 15 TD
	Nicholas Singleton RB #10	123 CAR, 549 YDS, 13 TD
	Drew Allar QB #15	36 CAR, 172 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving	Trebor Pena WR #8	44 REC, 452 YDS, 1 TD
	Devonte Ross WR #5	28 REC, 417 YDS, 5 TD
	Kyron Hudson WR #11	23 REC, 288 YDS, 2 TD
	Luke Reynolds TE #85	24 REC, 229 YDS

Defense

Tackles	Amare Campbell LB #0	96
	Zakee Wheatley S #6	74
	Dominic DeLuca LB #0	63
Sacks	Dani Dennis-Sutton EDGE #33	6.5
	Zane Durant DT #28	4
	Amare Campbell LB #0	3
Interceptions	Alonzo Ford Jr. DT #50	1
	Zakee Wheatley S #6	1
	Zane Durant DT #28	1

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.