USC walked into Halloween night and came out with the kind of win that jolts the whole college football conversation. After looking flat against Wisconsin the week before, the Trojans flipped the script against Ohio State and spent four quarters looking like the sharper, more complete team.
The biggest reason was simple: USC’s best players played like it. Jayden Maiava handled one of the nation’s top defenses with poise, going 15-for-22 for 222 yards and a touchdown. He found ways to carve up the Buckeyes, and he had help from the guys around him.
Two freshmen, Mark Bowman and Trent Mosley, stepped into the spotlight and outperformed the kind of standard usually associated with Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith. Smith still had his moments and his production, but USC’s young playmakers made their own statement in a game that featured plenty of attention on the Heisman favorite.
The Trojans also got a much-needed lift from the ground game. After managing -17 rushing yards last week, USC was far more effective this time around.
Waymond Jordan and King Miller both made an impact and gave the offense a balance it badly needed. It was a major step forward for that unit.
And while the offense grabbed the headlines, the defense did its part too. Ohio State’s run game wasn’t completely erased, and Smith still hit on some of his highlight plays, but USC turned in what was easily its most impressive defensive showing of the season.
The Trojans made life difficult for backup quarterback Luke Fahey and kept coming through with red-zone stops. At one point, USC led 27-9, and the defense had a lot to do with that cushion.
Lincoln Riley deserves his share of the credit. With plenty of noise around his job security and pressure building all week, he got the response he needed from his team.
What happens next is still to be written, but USC showed something real here: this roster can rise to the level of a title contender and make that team look out of place. The challenge now is doing it again.
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 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than One Road Loss
The upset in Los Angeles did more than hand Ohio State a road loss. USCs defense set the tone early and never let the Buckeyes get comfortable, holding them to one touchdown while piling up tackles for loss and sacks against backup quarterback Luke Fahey. The Trojans also got the kind of explosive play they have been hunting, with Mark Bowman turning a short opening into a 70-yard catch-and-run that helped swing the game in USCs favor.
For Lincoln Riley, the 30-18 win carried extra weight because it was his first top-five victory with the Trojans, and it came against a team that arrived with far more national respect. For Ohio State, the bigger issue now is not just the blemish on the schedule but the way the offense looked under pressure, with a backup quarterback trying to survive behind a line that could not settle things down. [Read more 🡒]