Rece Davis is not riding with USC anymore.
The ESPN College GameDay host went with No. 2 Ohio State for Halloween night’s trip to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, even with a true freshman quarterback likely making his first start and a road history in the building that has been brutal for the Buckeyes. On the College GameDay Podcast, Davis said USC’s 24-7 loss at Wisconsin was enough to knock him off the Trojans’ bandwagon.
“I’ll take the Buckeyes,” Davis said.
His confidence in Ohio State still comes with a caveat. Davis said the Buckeyes, now 6-1, have not fully revealed who they are at quarterback.
“Ohio State comes in ranked second in the nation and, at least to my way of thinking, a bit of a placeholder until I see what they’ve got at quarterback,” he said.
That uncertainty centers on Julian Sayin, who injured his throwing arm in Ohio State’s 19-15 win over Indiana on Oct. 17 and is expected to miss at least the rest of the regular season. Ryan Day has not announced a starter, and both Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair took first-team reps during the bye week.
“I’m not going to,” Day said Wednesday when asked if he’d name a starting quarterback. “But both guys had a good week of practice and I think both will be ready to play.”
Day also said it’s “definitely possible” both quarterbacks play. Fahey replaced Sayin against Indiana, though Ohio State kept things conservative with the lead and both of his passes fell incomplete.
Davis likes Fahey’s spot in this matchup, especially with the game unfolding in the quarterback’s old backyard.
“Fahey is a Southern California kid. I believe his grandparents actually met at Ohio State.
So there’s a connection,” Davis said. “He gets to make his first start in his backyard, figuratively, from where he grew up.
I think he’ll be fine.”
Ohio State’s problems at USC are not subtle. The Buckeyes have not won a regular-season game there since a 21-0 shutout in 1946 and have not scored a touchdown at the Coliseum since 1949. They have dropped their last four visits by a combined 126-9.
Davis is expecting Jeremiah Smith to be the player who changes that storyline.
“I’ll bet you that changes with Jeremiah Smith,” he said.
USC’s offense was the other reason Davis moved away from the Trojans. He had been leaning toward them until the Wisconsin game changed his mind.
“I know Wisconsin’s good, but seven? I mean, fewest ever for Lincoln Riley. I’m off the bandwagon,” he said.
The Trojans are 6-2 and 3-2 in the Big Ten, but the loss in Madison pushed them out of the AP Top 25. They also finished with minus-17 rushing yards against Wisconsin.
Riley spoke Tuesday about his future at USC, where he is 41-20 and carries a reported $70 million buyout.
“This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I’m the right person to be here,” he said.
Davis thinks a convincing Ohio State win would only intensify questions around Riley, but he also urged caution about assuming a coaching change would bring a guaranteed upgrade.
“Ohio State goes in there and rolls and creates even more discussion around the future of USC,” Davis said. “Although, be very careful.
You don’t know that you’re going to get someone that’s better. It’s not like Lincoln Riley’s a bad coach.
It just hasn’t been quite to the level that they’ve expected up to this point.”
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC.
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Ohio State's USC Trip Now Rides On Ryan Day's Toughest Call
Ryan Day is staring at the kind of quarterback decision that can tilt a big game before it even kicks off. With Julian Sayin dealing with an injury, Ohio State has to choose between freshman Luke Fahey and sophomore Tavien St. Clair for the USC trip, and each option changes the feel of the offense in a different way. Fahey has flashed quick processing and mobility, while St. Clair brings the kind of size and arm strength that can stretch a defense.
The tradeoff is real, and it goes beyond simple experience. Faheys profile suggests a quarterback who can get the ball out and keep plays on schedule, even if he does not fit the usual mold, while St. Clair gives the Buckeyes more of a downfield profile but has been less steady with his accuracy. However Day leans, the choice will shape how Ohio State tries to attack USC and how much pressure falls on the rest of the offense to carry the load. [Read more 🡒]