Currently ranked sixth in the country, USC is probably hoping it can secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

But a Rose Bowl wouldn’t be too shabby for coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans in Year 1 of this new era. That’s where The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy has the Trojans slotted to end up in his latest bowl projections — facing Penn State in The Granddaddy of Them All.

From 2003-2008, USC was in the Rose Bowl five times in six years. Then-head coach Pete Carroll had the Trojans in the Orange Bowl the only other time. Since, USC has made just one appearance in the Rose Bowl — a 52-49 win over Penn State.

A trip to Pasadena this season to battle the Nittany Lions would be the first meeting between the two schools since. They’ve played 10 times total, with USC holding a 6-4 advantage. Each of the last two meetings have come in the Rose Bowl.

McMurphy has Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan earning spots in the College Football Playoff. He has Washington playing in the Cotton Bowl and Utah in the Alamo Bowl. This year’s Rose Bowl Game is scheduled to be played on Monday, Jan. 2.

The Trojans are off to a 4-0 start to the season. They beat Oregon State 17-14 in Corvallis over the weekend to move to 2-0 in Pac-12 play. USC hosts Arizona State (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12) at the L.A. Coliseum on Saturday.