Ohio State left Los Angeles with more than a loss. It also left with a statistical picture that still looks strong in a lot of places, even if the trip to the Coliseum exposed some cracks.
The Buckeyes fell to a motivated USC team after an extra week to prepare, and the performance didn’t match the moment. Ohio State had not won at USC’s home stadium since 1946, though it did finally get its first touchdown at the Coliseum since 1949.
With 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin sidelined, freshman Luke Fahey made his first career start at quarterback and handled himself well enough in the box score. Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown.
Bo Jackson added 121 rushing yards on 21 carries, Isaiah West ran for 65 yards on 13 carries, and Jeremiah Smith caught 10 of 13 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown.
The bigger issue was a defense that had been trending toward being the team’s calling card. Payton Pierce led Ohio State with six tackles, Jermaine Mathews Jr. had two tackles for loss, and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. forced a fumble that Earl Little Jr. recovered. Three players also recorded a pass breakup, but the unit still came up short in a game that mattered.
Now the Buckeyes have four regular-season games left, and the margin for error is gone if they want another shot at the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. Oregon comes to Ohio Stadium next week, giving Ohio State an immediate chance to respond.
Statistically, the Buckeyes are still positioned well in several areas, even after the setback. On defense, they are allowing 15.5 points per game, which ranks 13th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. That’s a step back from last week’s 13.4 points per game, when they were tied for fourth nationally and second in the conference.
Ohio State’s total defense now sits at 273.5 yards allowed per game, good for 11th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten. That number was 264.3 last week, when the Buckeyes were tied for sixth nationally and second in the league.
Against the pass, they are giving up 177.8 yards per game, ranking 20th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. Against the run, the Buckeyes are allowing 95.75 yards per game, which puts them 15th nationally and fifth in the conference.
The numbers on third downs and in the red zone show where things have slipped. Opponents are converting 38.53 percent of third downs against Ohio State, which ranks tied for 73rd nationally and 12th in the Big Ten.
That was 38.38 percent a week ago. In the red zone, opponents are scoring on 83.33 percent of trips, a mark that ranks tied for 68th nationally and seventh in the Big Ten after sitting at 78.57 percent last week.
The Buckeyes have 11 sacks, tied for 112th nationally and 14th in the Big Ten.
Special teams has been a mixed bag. Ohio State is punting for 43.17 yards per kick, which ranks 68th nationally and 11th in the Big Ten.
The field goal unit is up to 85.7 percent, tied for 29th nationally and fifth in the conference. Extra points remain perfect at 100 percent, tied for first nationally and in the Big Ten.
The return game, though, has not moved much. The Buckeyes are averaging 16.40 yards per kickoff return, which ranks 124th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten, and 6.15 yards per punt return, good for 105th nationally and 16th in the conference.
Saturday also added another layer to the USC series. It was the 25th all-time meeting between the programs and the first as Big Ten opponents. USC now leads the series 14-10-1.
Ryan Day’s overall résumé remains stacked. He is 88-13 as Ohio State’s head coach, which gives him the fourth-most wins in school history and leaves him six behind Jim Tressel for third.
His 87.1 career winning percentage trails only Knute Rockne among FBS head coaches in history. In Big Ten games, Day is 59-6, and Ohio State has gone 29-4 in conference road games under him.
The Buckeyes also own the second-best road winning percentage in college football during his tenure at 30-5.
Across Day’s 65-game Big Ten run, Ohio State has averaged 39.7 points per game while allowing 15.1.
The larger program numbers still underline how consistently dominant Ohio State has been. The Buckeyes have been the winningest program in college football over the last 25 years, 50 years and 75 years. Since the start of the College Football Playoff era in 2014, Ohio State has won 147 games, second only to Alabama’s 153.
And even with the loss in Los Angeles, the Buckeyes’ defensive profile over the longer stretch remains elite. Since the start of the 2024 national championship season, Ohio State has allowed just 12.1 points per game, the best mark in the country by 1.1 points. The Buckeyes also rank first in yards allowed at 245.5 per game and first in passing yards allowed at 155.5.
In Other News...
Ohio States CFP Ranking Just Reignited A Frustrating Committee Debate
The first College Football Playoff rankings of 2026 immediately stirred up the same old arguments, with Miami opening at No. 1 and Georgia, Utah, Indiana and Alabama filling out the top five. For Ohio State fans watching the board, the early reveal was a reminder that the committee is once again leaning into a rsum-versus-results debate that never seems to go away, especially when teams with head-to-head advantages are separated or an unbeaten team like UCLA gets pushed behind squads with losses.
Utahs No. 3 spot drew plenty of attention, too, since the Utes have only one ranked win, and committee chair Hunter Yurachek spent part of the explanation cycle defending how the group compares teams across conferences and record profiles. For a Buckeyes audience, the bigger issue is familiar: if the opening rankings already feel inconsistent, the next few weeks are likely to bring even more scrutiny to every movement, every comparison and every decision the committee makes. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Still Has Two Big Lineup Questions Before Oregon
Ohio State came out of its trip to USC with two injury concerns hanging over the week ahead, and both sit in spots that matter a lot for what comes next. Defensive tackle Eddrick Houston and left tackle Ian Moore were hurt in the game, and Ryan Days latest update at least offered some clarity on one front, with Houston expected back soon as the Buckeyes turn their attention to Oregon.
Moore is the bigger unknown, and his status still depends on how he progresses in the days leading up to the matchup. For a team already working through the usual midseason grind, the left tackle spot is one of the most important places to have uncertainty, especially with Oregon on deck and Day continuing to balance injury management, staff decisions, and game prep all at once. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Legit CFP Ranking Complaint After First Bracket
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2026 season immediately stirred the usual arguments, with Alabama landing in the top five and Notre Dame showing up lower than in the AP poll. The committees opening bracket also reopened the familiar debate over how much weight should be given to strength of schedule, especially when the rankings seem to diverge from what voters and fans have already been seeing all fall.
For Ohio State, though, the bigger issue was more specific. Committee chairman Hunter Yurachek said the Buckeyes head-to-head win over Indiana was not part of the discussion when the rankings were set, a detail that is hard to ignore for a team trying to measure itself against the rest of the playoff field. In a race where every comparison matters, leaving out a direct result is the kind of thing that can leave a program wondering what exactly the committee values most. [Read more 🡒]