USC walked into Saturday carrying the weight of a rough week and walked out with the kind of win that changes the conversation fast.
Behind a defense that never let Ohio State get comfortable, the Trojans knocked off No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 in Los Angeles, holding the Buckeyes to one touchdown and turning a matchup that looked daunting on paper into a statement result. The Buckeyes were without Julian Sayin, and life without him started badly, with backup quarterback Luke Fahey getting pressured all night by a USC front that finished with two sacks and seven tackles for loss.
Ohio State did move the ball in stretches, but USC kept bending just enough and then slamming the door before the Buckeyes could cash in. Field goals replaced touchdowns too often for Ohio State, and that was the difference in a game where the Trojans kept control of the scoreboard.
The night’s biggest swing came on a 70-yard catch-and-run by Mark Bowman, a burst that set up a touchdown and stretched the USC lead to 27-9. From there, the Trojans had more than enough room to finish the job.
For Lincoln Riley, it was a milestone win: his first against a top-five opponent at USC. It also handed Ohio State its second loss of the season and added another jolt to the top of the AP Poll, where chaos has been the theme.
That makes the turnaround even sharper considering where USC stood just a week ago. The Trojans came in unranked after scoring only seven points in a loss to Wisconsin, a performance that was the worst offensive outing of Riley’s head-coaching career and had plenty of people in Los Angeles calling for him to be fired.
Instead, USC answered with what was arguably its best showing under Riley. The result also extended a strange run at the top of the rankings, with this marking the fourth straight week that a top-two AP Poll team has fallen to an unranked opponent.
The win keeps USC in the playoff picture, while Ohio State heads into next week’s game against Oregon with real questions on offense. Fahey’s first collegiate start wasn’t a disaster - he finished with 260 yards on 21 of 38 passing and a touchdown - but he didn’t bring the same deep-ball threat Sayin gives the Buckeyes, and that absence showed up in a game Ohio State couldn’t afford to let slip away.
In Other News...
Arizona Just Got A Painful Reality Check In The Rankings
Ohio States trip to USC turned into the kind of setback that can shake up the entire rankings picture, even with the Buckeyes out-gaining the Trojans on the night. With true freshman Luke Fahey starting at quarterback because of Julian Sayins injury, Ohio State still had enough talent to control stretches of the game, but missed tackles, penalties and special teams mistakes kept opening the door for USC to make the most of it.
The ripple effects go beyond Columbus, too. Georgia steadied itself with a win over Florida after its earlier loss, though the passing game still looked like a work in progress, while Floridas offensive issues are pushing it toward another drop after its third loss. And for Arizona, Texas Techs important win only adds to the pressure in a crowded rankings race, the sort of result that can quickly turn a promising week into a painful reality check. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Added More Fuel To Ohio States Ugly Night
After USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State, the night got even messier as Lincoln Riley found himself in the middle of a postgame confrontation while leaving the field. Reporters on hand and video from the scene showed the USC coach exchanging words with Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members, turning an already rough loss for the Buckeyes into something more combustible on the way off the turf.
Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back, was also seen stepping in to help cool things down as the moment escalated. For a game that already carried plenty of weight, the postgame scene added another layer of tension, leaving the Buckeyes to sort through both the defeat and the fallout from a night that was ugly in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Changed Everything In The Big Ten And CFP Race
USCs win over No. 2 Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum did more than add another marquee result to the schedule. It jolted the Big Ten race and the College Football Playoff picture, with the Trojans taking a 30-18 victory in a game that had the feel of a late-season turning point rather than just another November showcase.
The night also delivered one of the more memorable individual plays of USCs season, as freshman tight end Mark Bowman ripped off a 70-yard run that included a hurdle over a defender. Ohio State, meanwhile, went with true freshman Luke Fahey at quarterback in place of Julian Sayin, but even with effective rushing the Buckeyes had trouble turning drives into touchdowns, leaving them with more questions than answers after a costly loss in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]