Big Ten Sets Kickoff Time for Penn State-USC Game

The Nittany Lions will visit USC for the first time since 1991.

The Big Ten conference logo is seen before a game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Penn State will play back-to-back games against the Big Ten's California contingent over the next two weeks, including its first regular-season game at USC since 1991. The Big Ten on Monday announced kickoff times for the Oct. 12 schedule of games, which includes Penn State-USC. The Nittany Lions-Trojans game is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff (12:30 p.m. local) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. CBS has the broadcast.

Penn State's unique stretch includes consecutive game against UCLA and USC. The ninth-ranked Nittany Lions (4-0) will host UCLA at noon ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Penn State then seeks to end a three-game losing streak to USC, which includes two appearances in the Rose Bowl. In fact, Penn State has never beaten USC in California.

Penn State is 4-6 all-time against USC, winning twice at Beaver Stadium (in 1993 and 1994) and in two neutral-site games: the 1981 Fiesta Bowl and the 1996 Kickoff Classic at the former Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Penn State is 0-5 against USC in California, having lost three Rose Bowl appearances (including the 1922 game) and back-to-back regular-season road games in 1990-91.

Penn State coach James Franklin said this week that the Nittany Lions will leave Thursday, Oct. 10 for the game in Los Angeles. Franklin has noted that travel logistics will be complicated. For example, Penn State will fly from Harrisburg International Airport, which has facilities large enough for the team's charter plane.

"We did a lot of [planning] ahead of time with NFL teams and other college teams that have done that
type of travel," Franklin said. "But then also this year being able to talk to other teams and letting our ops people talk to other ops people, talking to head coaches that are friends and saying, hey, what did you learn from it after doing it now for the first time in Big10 play."

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.