Rose Bowl 2017: Latest USC vs. Penn State Odds, Predictions and More

The 2017 Rose Bowl matchup between USC and Penn State is one of the most anticipated bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff. Both squads made a late charge toward the CFP conversation, and they likely would have qualified if it utilized an eight-team format.

Playing in the 103rd edition of the "Granddaddy of Them All" is a nice consolation prize, though. The Trojans are making their 34th appearance in the game and looking to improve a 24-9 record. The Nittany Lions are 1-2 in the marquee game, with both losses coming to USC (1923 and 2009).

Let's check out all of the important details for the high-profile encounter. That's followed by a look at the current odds along with a game preview and prediction.

Viewing Information

Where: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

When: Monday, Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Rose Bowl Odds

Team	Trojans	Nittany Lions
Role	Favorite	Underdog
Line	-7	+7

Game Preview

Although USC didn't reach the ultimate goal of contending for a national title in the College Football Playoff, the team would have gladly accepted a Rose Bowl invite in late September following a 1-3 start, which included losses to Alabama, Stanford and Utah.

The fact that outcome became a reality is a surprise. The Trojans rattled off eight consecutive victories, highlighted by triumphs over Pac-12 rivals Colorado and Washington, by showcasing vast improvement on both sides of the ball.

Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times passed along comments from Penn State head coach James Franklin, who provided high praise for his side's bowl opponent.

"Maybe the most dangerous team in the country right now," Franklin said. "And there was a lot of people hoping that they wouldn't make the playoffs because they're very, very talented; they're playing with a lot of confidence right now."

A lot of credit is given to the offense, and rightfully so. The unit became far more consistent after Sam Darnold took over for Max Browne at quarterback. But the strides made by the Adoree' Jackson-led defense shouldn't be overlooked.

The Trojans were a mess defensively during the first month of the season. They allowed an average of 36.7 points in that early trio of losses to the Crimson Tide, Cardinal and Utes, which put an extraordinary amount of pressure on the offense to keep pace.

Enough progress was made to help the team turn the tide, though. USC gave up just 30 points combined in the key conference wins over Colorado and Washington.

Trojans head coach Clay Helton is pleased with how his team responded after getting its collective back against the wall so early on, per Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register.

"We kind of went into playoff football mode," Helton said. "We understood that to be able to do something special, that we were going to have to go on a run."

As impressive as USC has been over the past two months, Penn State is one of the few teams that can match its run of success.

The Nittany Lions enter the Rose Bowl riding a nine-game winning streak, which featured wins over Ohio State and, in the Big Ten Championship Game, Wisconsin. That followed a mundane 2-2 start with losses to Pittsburgh and Michigan.

RedditCFB spotlighted the memorable runs by both squads:

Explosive plays on offense is Penn State's biggest upgrade. Seven different skill-position players have at least one touchdown of at least 40 yards. A lot of that has come through the vertical passing game, where Trace McSorley has enjoyed far more success than Christian Hackenberg did last year.

In turn, the formerly ground-and-pound Nittany Lions rank 25th in scoring offense. Now, you're still not going to mistake their offensive attack with a team like Louisville or Texas Tech, but the positive strides have taken some weight off the defense's shoulders.

It creates a situation where you have two offenses clicking on all cylinders, which would seem to point toward a shootout in the Rose Bowl. Not so fast, however, because both defenses are much better now than they were when the season kicked off.

All told, it should be an entertaining game decided by a single score one way or the other. Give the Trojans a slight advantage since that game is being played on the west coast.

Prediction: 27-23 USC