USC Football: Recent Rose Bowl Rematch Among Most Anticipated Games In New Big Ten
2023 marks USC's final season in the Pac-12 as the university pivots from its closer geographical competition to the Big Ten starting in 2024.
Conference realignment means new opponents and Trojan football will see one of the best teams of the past decade on a more regular basis beginning next season.
I'm with Tom and Blake, but for the sake of variety, how about Penn State traveling to USC in a rematch of the thrilling 2017 Rose Bowl? Sure, the players and some coaches are different now, but both offenses should be plenty explosive enough to provide a fitting encore. Really, any Big Ten team traveling to Los Angeles for a game against USC will make for an awesome environment not only because of the number of out-of-town fans who will make the trip, but also the transplants who already call the city their home.
The Nittany Lions under James Franklin rebounded from their early 2010s scandal under Jim Paterno as one of college football's most consistent winners.
Though Franklin hasn't led the university to a College Football Playoff spot since taking over the program in 2014, this year may be his best chance yet.
Fans from both schools will remember the shootout between Sam Darnold and Saquon Barkley in 2017's Rose Bowl as both top-five NFL draft picks displayed their talents for plenty of scouts to see.
Both teams currently rank in the Top 10 through six games this season and a potential playoff return for Lincoln Riley to the CFP could come against Franklin's team.
Caleb Williams had a chance to play the Nittany Lions as the 2022 Pac-12 champions but instead had to watch as Utah took defeat against Penn State on New Year's Day.
The Heisman winner surely won't let that opportunity slip this season and an early preview of what's to come may bear fruit this January.
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