Penn State falls 23-21 to No. 19 USC in White Out, slips to 3-3

Penn State lost again on Saturday night. No. 19 USC left Beaver Stadium with a 23-21 win in the White Out, which dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3 after six games. The Trojans improved to 6-1.

SB Nation's Black Shoe Diaries wrote in its postgame roundup that the record has fans thinking back to last season's start. The site said the problems came from both the defense and the sideline. Penn State struggled to pressure the quarterback all night, and Jordan Maivia took advantage with a big performance for USC.

The coaching took the most criticism. The roundup pointed to analysis concluding that Matt Campbell was routinely outmaneuvered by Lincoln Riley, an opponent he knows from their Big 12 days. It also cited questions about how Campbell managed his timeouts, and said his explanations afterward did not settle the concerns. A two-point loss to a ranked team puts every late-game decision under review, and Campbell's handling of the clock is now part of the story of Penn State's season.

The offense did have some good news. Black Shoe Diaries noted that quarterback Rocco Becht played his best game so far against a Big Ten opponent, which matters after a rough start to his conference play. Chase Sowell gave the offense a spark it needed, but he appeared to get hurt, and the site said the injury seemed to derail his night. The roundup did not give an update on his condition, so his status is a question to watch this week.

The crowd was another storyline. The losses have piled up, but the White Out drew the largest attendance for any game in program history, according to the roundup. Fans are clearly still invested, and that raises the pressure on the staff to turn close losses into wins.

The schedule does not get easier. Penn State goes to Michigan next, and the market sees the Wolverines as clear favorites. Michigan is favored at -223 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, with the total set at 43.5. Among sportsbooks, the best price on Michigan is -215 at theScore Bet. Full pricing is on our Penn State at Michigan odds page.

This is a big week for Penn State. A loss in Ann Arbor would leave the Nittany Lions under .500 halfway through October, and that kind of start would make it hard to reach the goals the program set in the preseason. To have a chance, the defense has to get back to pressuring the quarterback, and Campbell's in-game decisions have to hold up better than they did against Riley. Becht will also need to show that Saturday's performance was the start of better play and not a one-week exception.

USC heads home with six wins and a ranking it has kept through the first half. For Penn State, the 23-21 result is another close loss.