Ohio State fans still have 10 days to wait before the Buckeyes open at home against Ball State, but Week 0 offers a first real peek at a Big Ten team that will matter a lot later.
That team is USC, which begins its season Saturday at home against San Jose State in a rare Week 0 opener. The game kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET/noon PT, and it gives Buckeye fans an early look at a Trojans squad that is being talked about as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender.
The reason Ohio State supporters should pay attention is simple: USC is the Buckeyes’ Halloween opponent in Hollywood. By then, the Trojans’ revamped offense could already be taking shape around quarterback Jayden Maiava, who chose to return to college instead of entering the NFL Draft this spring.
Lincoln Riley has said he’s been impressed with Maiava since the quarterback made his return to college official last winter. That said, it’s still early, and any real judgment on how the Trojans look will have to wait until they’re deep into Big Ten play.
Not everyone is fully sold on Maiava yet, either. USA Today’s Paul Myerberg wrote: "Maiava gets lost in the shuffle in the Big Ten but has an opportunity to climb this list if USC can leap back into the playoff picture. The former UNLV transfer will have plenty to work with thanks to more transfer help and the addition of one of the year's top recruiting classes,"
The Trojans’ early schedule should provide a pretty good test. They draw both Oregon and Penn State in conference play before they meet Ohio State, and a 6-2 or 7-1 start is in play before the Buckeyes arrive.
If USC handles those games, and Ohio State does its part, the Halloween matchup could carry major weight in a Big Ten race that already looks crowded. It’s the kind of game that could land in a prime national TV window, with both teams trying to keep their title hopes on track heading into November.
For now, all eyes turn to Week 0 - and for Ohio State fans, to the first chance to size up the Trojans before that trip west on Halloween.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey Is Starting To Look Worth The Hype
Legend Bey is already getting the kind of early buzz that follows a recruit with real upside, and the freshmans place in Ohio States 2026 class has only grown more noteworthy with the black stripe now off his helmet. Even with missed practice time because of injury and a suspension along the way, he has managed to stay part of the conversation around the Buckeyes young talent, which says plenty about how the staff views him.
Ryan Day has described Bey as a dynamic player with significant potential, and that fits the path that brought him to Columbus in the first place. His recruitment went through a twisty stretch before he signed with Ohio State, including a flip from Tennessee after he was released from his original commitment, so the Buckeyes knew they were getting a player whose story was already a little different. Now the only real question is how quickly that promise turns into a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey Is Pushing For A Real Fall Role
Legend Beys first months at Ohio State have already had a little bit of everything, from a winding recruitment that included commitments to Tennessee and the Buckeyes to an early offseason that kept him out of some spring practices. The true freshman running back is back on the field now, and the staffs interest in him has not faded. Even with two established backs ahead of him on the depth chart, Ohio State still sees room for Bey because of the way he can fit into multiple parts of the offense.
What makes Bey worth watching this fall is less about where he sits today and more about how the Buckeyes might use him if they want to get him touches. The coaching staff has looked at him as a player who could be deployed creatively on offense and on special teams, which gives him a clearer path to early playing time than a typical freshman buried on the depth chart. His return to practice has put him back in position to keep pushing for that role, and Ohio State will have to decide how much of it it wants to carve out. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has One More Captain Debate Fans Will Jump On
Ryan Day has already put the 2026 Ohio State captains in place, and the list comes with a little extra intrigue because it includes seven names, not the more familiar handful fans are used to sorting through. Austin Siereveld and Brandon Inniss are back on the honor roll for a second straight year, a sign that the coaching staff sees real continuity in the leadership group as the Buckeyes turn the page to another season.
Even so, the conversation around captains does not really end when the announcement is made. There is still room for debate about whether the room should be bigger, and players such as Luke Montgomery and Earl Little Jr. naturally invite that kind of discussion as Ohio State looks for the right mix of experience, voice and presence. The official list is set, but this is the sort of decision Buckeye fans will keep revisiting because leadership on a team this size always feels like more than a formality. [Read more 🡒]