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Week six of the college football season was supposed to be a snooze fest as there was only one matchup between two top-25 teams, but chaos made it one of the best weeks of the season so far. We saw multiple top-10 teams go down against unranked teams, and now we have an action-packed week seven coming our way that features numerous big matchups. One big one in the Big Ten that we will be discussing will feature Penn State hitting the road to take on the USC football team.
ESPN's College GameDay goes to the biggest game of the week to air their live show, and there is no question that they chose the biggest game this week correctly as they will be in Eugene for a huge matchup between #2 Ohio State and #3 Oregon. These are definitely the two best teams in the Big Ten, and whoever wins this one is going to be in great position to make it to the Big Ten title game.
Penn State-USC is a big one this weekend, and Ohio State-Oregon is obviously a massive one as well. However, it doesn't end there. Not even close.
The one conference that doesn't have a lot going on this weekend is the ACC. It's hard for the ACC to ever have much going on as it is a pretty weak conference, and they really only have two good teams. Those teams are Miami and Clemson. The Hurricanes are on a bye this week, and the Tigers are at Wake Forest.
The other weak power four conference is the Big 12, and again, there isn't a lot of action over there this weekend either. #21 Kansas State visiting Deion Sanders and his 4-1 Buffaloes is definitely the biggest game of the weekend in the conference. If Colorado wins that one, they could be a legit threat in the conference.
Things are going to be fun in the Big Ten this weekend with two big matchups. USC did fall all the way out of the top-25 after losing to Minnesota last week, but their matchup against Penn State is still a big one. Then, we obviously have the incredible clash between Oregon and Ohio State in Eugene. The winner of that game will have a case to be ranked #1 in the country.
SEC action will be fun this weekend as well as there are two really good games on the slate. First, we get to see the first ever SEC edition of the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. That is one of the best rivalries in college football, and it is going to be fun.
Then at night, #9 Ole Miss will hit the road to take on #13 LSU. That is a huge game for both teams as they each have one loss, and avoiding that second one is crucial.
As you can see, there are a lot of great matchups this weekend, but let's talk more about this Penn State-USC matchup. The Trojans came into the Big Ten for matchups like these, and they have already have lost two conference games. They couldn't get it done against one of the Big Ten's most iconic programs as they lost to Michigan, but a win against Penn State would make them feel better.
Before we get into predictions for this matchup, let's take a look at where each team is at heading into this game.
USC football desperately needs a win
This USC football season has quickly taken a turn for the worst. After a huge week one win against LSU, the Trojans looked like they were a real contender in the Big Ten. However, they have lost two out of their last three games, and one of the losses came against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are not a very good football team.
Now, USC is 4-2 and 1-2 in conference play. The #4 team in the country is not who they want to be playing right now, but it does present a great opportunity. A win in this one could completely change their season. The Trojans need this one.
Penn State is looking good so far this year
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The Penn State football team will be in a great spot if they can get a win in this one. The Nittany Lions are undefeated so far and they are ranked #4 in the country. If they stay perfect and beat USC, Penn State should be looking at an 11-1 season. After this, they do play Ohio State at Beaver Stadium, but their next toughest opponent outside of that is probably a road game against Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions will be in terrific shape to make the College Football Playoff and potentially the Big Ten title game if they beat USC.
This is a huge matchup for both teams, and here are three predictions for it:
Miller Moss will throw three touchdown passes
If the USC football team is going to get a win in this one, they are going to need a big game from their quarterback, Miller Moss. When Moss plays well, this a very good team that is hard to beat. The Trojans are going to get a good performance from him this weekend. Moss will have his home crowd behind him, and he will deliver with a three touchdown day.
Zachariah Branch will make a huge play on special teams
For the USC football team to win this game, they will also need some big plays on defense and special teams. When a top-five team gets upset by a ranked team, it's usually because of big, unexpected plays that completely change the feel of the game. USC has one of the most explosive players in college football in Zachariah Branch returning kicks, and he is going to make a big play in that department on Saturday.
USC wins 24-20
The USC football team will get their season back on track with a 24-20 win this weekend. Miller Moss will have a big day, and the Trojans will make a couple huge plays on defense on special teams to keep themselves in this one, eventually leading to a huge upset victory at home.
USC and Penn State will kick off at 3:30 ET/12:30 PT from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, and the game will be airing on CBS. The Nittany Lions are currently favored by 6.5 points.
