USC's Ta'Mere Robinson looks back on Beaver Stadium return as Trojans turn to Ohio State

Ta'Mere Robinson's first game back at Beaver Stadium is one he will remember. The Pittsburgh native started his career at Penn State before transferring to USC. On Oct. 10 he went back to University Park with the Trojans, who beat the Nittany Lions 31-23 in front of a White Out crowd. In a conversation with USC Trojans On SI, the linebacker said the trip reminded him of his early college years and that it "doesn't get better than playing in front of 114,000 people."

Robinson made one tackle that afternoon. His statistics have never been big. He played in three games as a true freshman in State College, then appeared in all 14 during his redshirt-freshman season, including Penn State's playoff run, finishing with 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. StateCollege.com reported in April 2025 that his move to USC caught people by surprise because he was in line for more snaps after Kobe King left for the NFL. Robinson then played 13 games in his first season with the Trojans, mostly on special teams, and made 11 tackles.

He is not the only former Nittany Lion on the USC roster. Defensive end Zuriah Fisher came over in January, part of a broader effort by Lincoln Riley's staff to bring in players who already know the Big Ten. Robinson also talked about life beyond football. He is a public policy major who went through a teaching magnet program at Brashear High School, and he said he wants to teach middle school because that is the age when students begin working out what they want to do.

What it means for Saturday

The win at Penn State is still USC's best result of the season, and it has lost some of its value. According to Eleven Warriors, the Trojans had averaged 36.4 points before they lost 24-7 at Wisconsin last weekend. Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions in Madison, and the running game finished at minus-17 yards on 25 carries. It was the lowest score any Lincoln Riley team has ever posted. USC is now 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten, has not beaten a ranked opponent, and hosts No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday on NBC.

The board favors the Buckeyes. Novig, one of 12 venues listing the game, has Ohio State favored by 6.5 at -108 and -233 on the moneyline, with USC at +217. The best USC spread price anywhere is BetRivers at +7 (-112), half a point off Novig's number. The total sits at 51.5 on Novig and 51 at BetRivers. Sportsbook hold runs 3.7% to 5.8% on the moneyline. All prices are on the game page.

Robinson's former team is in worse shape. Penn State started 3-0, then lost to Wisconsin, Northwestern, USC and, most recently, 21-18 at Michigan, and is now 3-4. The Nittany Lions host Purdue on Saturday on BTN. Novig has them favored by 8.5 at -100 and -264 on the moneyline. The best Penn State spread price anywhere is theScore Bet at -7.5 (-105), a full point below Novig. The total is 54.5 on Novig and as high as 55.5 at theScore Bet, across 11 venues on the game page.