USC’s Halloween date with Ohio State now has a kickoff time.
The No. 16 Trojans and No.
3 Buckeyes will meet at 4:30 p.m. PT on Oct. 31, with the schools announcing the start time on the morning of Oct.
- That gives the matchup a prime slot before the nation settles into Halloween night.
NBC Sports will carry the game, with Peacock also streaming it. It’s another USC showcase for the network, which has already been around the program plenty this season.
NBC aired USC’s home opener against San Jose State in Week Zero, then brought back Noah Eagle and Todd Blackledge for the Oregon game on Sept. 26.
The network also televised USC’s one-point thriller against Washington on Oct. 3 and the Trojans’ road win at Penn State on Oct. 10.
This one has an extra layer beyond the TV window. Ohio State is expected to turn to Luke Fahey at quarterback, even after its bye week on Oct. 24, because Julian Sayin exited the win at Indiana with a sling over his right arm and is projected to miss significant time with his shoulder injury.
Fahey brings a Southern California connection to the matchup. He starred at Mission Viejo High School and graduated in the 2026 class. At 5-11, he stood out for his accuracy against a tough schedule, including a Rancho Santa Margarita Catholic team coached by USC legend Carson Palmer and Tennessee powerhouse McCallie High during Fahey’s senior season.
If Fahey is under center, he’ll likely be throwing to Jeremiah Smith, the Heisman Trophy hopeful at wide receiver. USC will also have to account for Chris Henry Jr., the 6-6 wideout the Trojans tried to flip during the 2026 recruiting cycle.
The game could draw even more attention from the pregame shows. Ohio State-USC has a case for ESPN College GameDay because both Big Ten teams should be ranked in the top 20, and the only other ranked game on Oct. 31 is No.
25 Arizona at No. 8 Texas Tech.
But GameDay already has another stop lined up first: No. 10 Utah hosting No.
14 Houston, announced on Oct. 18.
That would make for a third straight week on a Big 12 campus after the show aired from BYU on Oct. 17.
If ESPN stays put, Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff could be the other candidate for the scene. That crew includes Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, Brady Quinn, Urban Meyer and USC legend Matt Leinart, and Fox has its own Big Ten broadcast rights.
USC, though, has to get through 4-2 Wisconsin on Oct. 24 before any of that matters.
In Other News...
USC Suddenly Has A Bigger UCLA Problem Than Expected
UCLAs 17-7 win over Wisconsin gave USC a little more to think about on both sides of the ball. The Bruins leaned on backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach in his first start, and he responded by throwing for more than 250 yards while UCLA controlled the ball and kept Wisconsin from finding much rhythm. Even with the running game largely checked, the Bruins found enough balance to stay in command and come out of Week 7 with a result that should matter in Los Angeles.
For USC, the bigger concern is what that performance says about the road ahead. Wisconsins defense showed it can clog up a ground attack, but UCLA still found answers through the air and sustained drives, which makes the Bruins a tougher matchup than the matchup might have looked a week ago. With USC facing both teams down the line, the Trojans now have to prepare for a Wisconsin defense that can force a team to earn every yard and a UCLA offense that just proved it can adapt when the run game is taken away. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Prime-Time Ohio State Test Just Got Even More Intriguing
USCs late-season run is about to live under the lights, with five straight prime-time games on NBC giving the Trojans an unusual showcase stretch. The centerpiece arrives on Oct. 31 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, when No. 3 Ohio State comes to town in what already looked like one of the biggest games on USCs schedule. Between Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland and UCLA on the slate around it, this is the kind of sequence that can shape both the Big Ten race and the national conversation around the Trojans.
The matchup with Ohio State has only gotten more complicated for the Buckeyes, too, as starting quarterback Julian Sayin is likely to miss the game because of injury. USC still has plenty to sort out before then, and the prime-time window means every step of the next few weeks will be watched closely. But with a marquee opponent now facing a major question under center, the Trojans suddenly have an even more intriguing path into Halloween. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States QB Situation Just Added Intrigue To USCs Playoff Path
USCs loss to Oregon is already in the rearview mirror, and the Trojans have steadied themselves with two straight wins to reach 6-1 heading into Wisconsin. That has kept their College Football Playoff path alive, but the road ahead still looks crowded with teams that can make things messy in a hurry, especially when quarterback play becomes the deciding factor in tight games.
Ohio States 19-15 escape against Indiana only added to that sense of uncertainty, with both quarterbacks turning in uneven afternoons and injuries affecting the flow of the game. For USC, the bigger point is simple: the remaining schedule is full of opponents that may not always look dominant, but can still drag a contender into a close, uncomfortable finish if the quarterback situation tilts the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]