Are USC Trojans College Football's Biggest Loser of Week Seven After Penn State Loss?

The unranked USC Trojans faced a 33-30 loss against the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions in overtime after leading 20-6 at halftime. Does the loss against Penn State make USC the biggest loser of week seven?

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws a pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

In week seven of the college football season, the unranked USC Trojans lost 33-30 to No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions. The Trojans started strong with a 20-6 lead at halftime, but they could not get the job done. Does this loss against Penn State make USC the biggest loser of week seven? 

The Trojans entered halftime with a 14-point lead. All the momentum was on their side. Everything shifted in the second half when Penn State scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game. Though losing the lead is tough, it was still a tie game, and the Trojans had their chance.

It was a three-point game in the fourth quarter and went into overtime with a 30-30 tie at the end of regulation. Being an unranked team and taking a top five team into overtime is not a bad look for USC. It shows that the team still fights every game until the end.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws a pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

What hurt USC the most was every time something would work out in the Trojans favor, they did not take advantage of it. The USC defense walked away from the game with three interceptions.

One interception was from a hail mary at the end of regulation, but he other two should have led to more points for the Trojans. The offensive drive following both interceptions ended up with a field goal. While field goals still mean points are put on the board, getting into the end zone after turnover is how teams win games. Missing those key plays that could have won them the game hurt the Trojans the most.

USC had the lead with just under six minutes to go in the game, but the Penn State offense moved down the field to tie the game quickly. USC got the ball with just under three minutes to go, more than enough time for the Trojans to win. Unfortunately, USC quarterback Miller Moss threw an interception. If USC scored a field goal on that drive, the game could have ended differently.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) avoids USC Trojans defensive end Braylan Shelby (34) as he carries the ball for a short a short gain in the second at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The question remains, is USC the biggest loser of week seven? The self-inflicting wounds were a major issue. USC had the game, but they lost control. On the other side of the argument, it was a close game with the defense's three interceptions and clutch red zone stops. In addition, the Trojans ran the ball well against a tough Penn State defense. It took until the second half for the Nittany Lions to truly put up a fight.

Following the game USC coach Lincoln Riley spoke to the media, acknowledging that the win was right in front of them and they lost it. 

“We’ve had, obviously, a few games like this, where we’ve had chances to win right there at the end and to not, you know, not make the plays, not have some of the breaks bounce your way. There’s no doubt about it. So we’re disappointed with not finishing it off,” Riley said. “We got to keep putting ourselves in a position to win, but most importantly we gotta play better at the end and take advantage of the all the hard work and things we are doing.”

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) looks to throw a pass in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The 2024 season has not gone the way the Trojans expected it to. Having a 1-3 record in the Big Ten, 3-3 overall, is not what many predicted for the USC Trojans at this point of the season. While it is hard to call USC the biggest loser in week seven, they were not a winner. USC cannot keep losing winnable games.

The Trojans need to bounce back soon, and a week eight matchup with the 3-3 Maryland Terrapins could be the perfect opportunity.

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