USC Insider Questions If Penn State & D'Anton Lynn Can Handle Trojans' Offense!

Penn State football’s 2026 matchup against USC could be one of the defining games of Matt Campbell’s first season. In this crossover preview with Locked On USC, Zach Seyko and Marc Kulkin examine the biggest advantages, concerns and deciding factors for the Nittany Lions and Trojans. The discussion covers D’Anton Lynn’s familiarity with Lincoln Riley and Jayden Maiava, Penn State’s talented secondary, Rocco Becht and the continuity of Taylor Mouser’s offense, USC’s experienced offensive line and running backs, Gary Patterson’s return as a defensive play caller and the potential impact of cross-country travel to Beaver Stadium. Penn State is not approaching 2026 like a traditional rebuilding team. Much of Campbell’s Iowa State system has already arrived in Happy Valley, but USC has enough offensive experience and talent to make this a legitimate toss-up. Could Lynn’s knowledge, Penn State’s home-field advantage and a more favorable early schedule be enough to swing the matchup? Who has the advantage right now: Penn State or USC? Leave your early prediction in the comments. Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Become an every-dayer! Subscribe to Locked On Nittany Lions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lockedonnittanylions?sub\_confirmation=1 Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! KALSHI For a limited time, Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get up to $500 in bonus credits when you trade $25. The Game Don't miss this chance to celebrate 40 years of The Game with 40% off your entire order. Visit https://TheGameCaps.com and use promo code LOCKEDON at checkout. Wayfair Patio season is here and these deals won’t last! Head to https://wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM to play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONittanyLions?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow the show on X! https://x.com/LockedOnNittany https://x.com/zach\_seyko #lockedonnittanylions #pennstate #nittanylions #pennstatefootball #collegefootball #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball #lockedon #weare #football #USCFootball 0:00 Intro 1:53 D’Anton Lynn’s Advantage Against USC 4:32 Penn State’s Secondary vs USC’s Passing Attack 6:12 Why Penn State’s Offense Is Not Rebuilding 8:46 Can USC Defend Penn State’s Tight Ends? 11:47 USC’s Biggest Offensive Advantages 15:04 Lincoln Riley’s Road-Offense Question 16:50 Gary Patterson vs Taylor Mouser 19:30 Early Penn State-USC Point Spread 21:36 What Is at Stake for Both Programs? 23:09 USC’s Travel and Beaver Stadium Problem 25:10 Matt Campbell’s Big-Game Résumé 28:42 Penn State-USC Prediction 31:37 The White Out Uniform Debate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.