Nittany Lions trust in Penn State football staff’s plans for cross-country travel

On the field, it appears like Penn State football has the upper hand as James Franklin and the Nittany Lions prepare to cross the country to face USC this weekend.

Now ranked No. 4, the Nittany Lions have started 5-0 for the fourth consecutive year, the only program in the country to do so. USC, on the other hand, is coming off an upset loss at Minnesota that dropped the Trojans out of the top 25.

But while Penn State may have momentum on its side, the history, albeit short, is not.

Big Ten programs crossing at least two time zones for conference play are now 1-8 in the league’s inaugural coast-to-coast season. Indiana holds the lone win, defeating UCLA in Pasadena coming off eight days rest.

After just handing the Bruins a loss on their cross-country trip to Happy Valley on Saturday, Penn State football will now look to buck the developing trend. Shifting their attention to the UCLA’s cross-town rival, the Nittany Lion players believe in the plan James Franklin and the Penn State football staff have set for this week.

“They’re going to have a plan,” tight end Tyler Warren said Saturday of managing the cross-country travel. “We haven’t gone over what our plan is going to be, but I know they have a plan for us. And we’re going to have to trust the staff, and I know that they got it all planned out and figured out. And that’s science and all that stuff behind it. But I think it all comes down to just trusting our process and still being able to go out there and win a game.”

How did Penn State football prepare for cross-country travel?

© Grace Carella / Basic Blues Nation, 2024.

For Penn State football, this week has been months in the making. At Big Ten Football Media Days this summer, James Franklin spoke of the planning conducted for traveling to USC and other West Coast Big Ten schools this offseason.

“We spent a ton of time talking to NFL organizations as well as college programs that have done East Coast to West Coast travel during the season and what are the best practices for that,” Franklin said. “So [we] put a lot of time into that, and we’re excited about those opportunities.

“Most schools have policies that tell you when you’re able to travel for away games,” Franklin said. “When you add the West Coast teams that we’ve added, those policies are open for discussion. It’s not the same old Big Ten. Everything needs to be looked at to create a little bit more flexibility.”

Next Stop📍
Los Angeles, CA pic.twitter.com/OG68iR84u1

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) October 7, 2024

Portions of the trip have already begun, with the program’s equipment truck leaving Happy Valley on Sunday evening. The Nittany Lions will fly out of Harrisburg International Airport rather than the traditional State College Regional Airport on Thursday.

As of Monday morning, Penn State football is a 4.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

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