After two weeks without a game, Ohio State finally gets back on the field tonight, and the matchup waiting for the Buckeyes is a primetime trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum against USC.
The biggest theme on both sides is health. Ohio State is without Julian Sayin on offense, while USC has dealt with a couple of injuries, though none are to key contributors.
Even with Sayin sidelined, the Buckeyes still have Jeremiah Smith, and the source material makes the point plainly: he is 100 percent ready to go. With that in place, Ohio State’s margin for error remains large.
The betting line reflects that confidence. Ohio State enters as a 6.5-point favorite, and nearly the entire public is backing the Buckeyes.
USC’s last outing did little to slow that wave. The Trojans went to Madison, Wisconsin, and took a hard loss to the Badgers.
Wisconsin controlled the physical side of the game from the opening whistle, forced turnovers, shut down the run, and kept USC in chase mode all night. The Trojans managed just 54 passing yards in the game.
That result lines up with what Ohio State will want to do tonight. The Buckeyes’ defense has settled in after sorting through some issues against Illinois, and the unit has since looked far more like itself. Against Iowa, Maryland, and Indiana, Ohio State shut things down and has returned to form at exactly the right time.
There’s also a major boost up front. Ohio State is expected to have its five best offensive linemen available, a group that has been shuffled all year but benefited most from the bye week. With that unit back together, the Buckeyes should get a lift in the rushing game.
And then there’s Jeremiah Smith, who remains the kind of weapon that changes everything. As the source notes, “No. 4 still plays for the Buckeyes last time that I checked.”
The expectation here is a slower, controlled game, with Ohio State trying to shorten it, own the clock, protect its young quarterback, and leave with a win. The prediction is that the Buckeyes do exactly that.
Final score: Ohio State 24, USC 10. The Buckeyes head back home as the No. 2 team in the country with Oregon next on the schedule.
In Other News...
Ohio States Bigger Problem In Los Angeles Was Never The Freshman QB
Ohio States trip to Los Angeles quickly became less about a true freshman quarterback making his first real imprint and more about a team that kept tripping over its own mistakes. Luke Fahey did enough to keep the offense moving in the first half, completing 8 of 15 passes for 86 yards, and the coaching staff clearly trusted him to handle the job despite his inexperience. But by halftime, USC had built a 20-6 lead, and the bigger issues were showing up everywhere else.
Missed tackles, penalties, special teams problems and defensive miscommunications all helped put Ohio State in a hole before the game could settle in. Fahey was not the reason the Buckeyes were chasing the scoreboard, and the way the first half unfolded made that plain. The more pressing concern for Ohio State was how many different areas were breaking down at once, leaving the freshman quarterback to absorb blame he never really owned. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than One Road Loss
A road loss in Los Angeles already had Ohio State dealing with the usual fallout from a stumble away from home, but the bigger issue was how USC controlled the game from start to finish. The Trojans held the No. 2 Buckeyes to one touchdown, and Ohio State never found much rhythm with backup quarterback Luke Fahey under constant pressure from a USC defense that stacked up tackles for loss and sacks.
The Buckeyes also had no answer for the explosive play that tilted the night, with Mark Bowman ripping off a 70-yard catch-and-run that helped put USC in position to finish the job. It was a statement win for Lincoln Riley, his first top-five victory with the Trojans, and for Ohio State it leaves a lot more to sort through than just the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Added More Fuel To Ohio States Ugly Night
USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State was already the kind of result that left a mark, but Lincoln Riley added another layer to the night in the aftermath. In his postgame press conference, the Trojans coach leaned into the idea that the satisfaction came from inside the building, not from outside approval, a fitting tone after a victory that sent Ohio State back to Columbus with plenty to sort through.
The scene around the tunnel at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was less polished. Riley and his family ran into a bottleneck on the way out, and the moment escalated into a verbal exchange in which Riley reportedly directed profanity at Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members. Former Buckeye Maurice Clarett stepped in to try to calm things down, a reminder that even after the final whistle, the emotions from a game like this can linger well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]