Penn State Predicted to Pull Off Massive Upset of USC

The Penn State Nittany Lions have dropped two games in a row, seeing their hot start to the season come crashing down.

Penn State was blown out by Northwestern last week, with the team performing poorly on both sides of the ball. After three straight wins to open the year, the Nittany Lions are now back to the drawing board for ways to right the ship.

Head coach Matt Campbell will have to get his guys back on track, and the schedule-makers didn't do them any favors this week. Penn State will be hosting the USC Trojans this weekend, giving the team a chance to take on a top-20 opponent.

This matchup will test the Nittany Lions, seeing how they can perform against one of the top teams in the country. Penn State will try to pull off the upset, and if they can, the last few weeks will be more of a blip on the season.

Coming into the game, Penn State is being favored to win, at least by ESPN's game predictor. The Nittany Lions have been given a 62 percent chance to upset the Trojans, earning a massive win at home.

Penn State may be favored in the game due to the game being played at home, with the Nittany Lions having a strong home-field advantage. But this team does have talent, and despite the two losses in a row, this matchup gives them an opportunity to showcase it.

Quarterback Rocco Becht will be the key in this game, and he is going to need to put together a better performance this week. Becht has struggled in each of the past two games, leading to the losses for the Nittany Lions.

While the struggles from Penn State aren't all on his shoulders, Becht does make a big difference to this team. For the season, the veteran signal-caller has thrown for 1,108 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Against an opportunistic Trojans defense, Becht will need to limit his turnovers, keeping the ball with the offense. USC has a strong offensive-attack, and if they are given more opportunities or shirt fields, it may be a tough game for Penn State.

Penn State has the means to pull off an upset win against the Trojans in this game, and if they can, they could build momentum for the rest of the season. Kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Trojans is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET.