USC
Ohio StateA true freshman from Mission Viejo is about to make his first college start 50-odd miles from home, under the lights at the Coliseum, against a USC team that throws the ball as well as anyone in the country. That is the short version of USC vs Ohio State on Halloween night, and it is why this game looks a lot more interesting than it did a week ago.
Who is starting at quarterback for Ohio State?
Luke Fahey, almost certainly. Julian Sayin, last year's Heisman finalist, hurt his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter of the 19-15 win at Indiana when Mario Landino sacked him and forced a fumble. Ryan Day said Sayin will "probably be out for several weeks."
That is a big loss. Through six starts Sayin was completing 71.2% of his passes for 1,772 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Fahey, a three-star recruit who was expected to be the third-stringer this year, beat out Tavien St. Clair for the backup job in camp. His college résumé so far is two passes against Indiana, neither completed. Ohio State's bye on October 24 gives him a full week of first-team reps before the flight west.
Jeremiah Smith, who now owns Ohio State's career records for catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, was honest about it: building a rapport with Fahey is "going to take time." The Buckeyes don't really have that time. Oregon visits Columbus the week after this.
How good is USC this season?
Better than a lot of people expected in what ESPN framed as a make-or-break year for Lincoln Riley ("I'm not asking for anybody's sympathy," he said over the summer). The Trojans are 6-1 and 3-1 in the Big Ten, No. 16 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the Coaches Poll.
The Big Ten games so far:
- Won 42-35 at Rutgers (September 19)
- Lost 41-27 to Oregon at the Coliseum (September 26)
- Beat Washington 25-21 (October 3)
- Won 31-23 at Penn State (October 10)
They visit Wisconsin on October 24 before this one, so the record could look different by kickoff.
Jayden Maiava, in his second season as the starter, ranks second nationally with 2,045 passing yards and is tied for fourth with 18 touchdown passes. King Miller and Waymond Jordan handle the carries, and the receiver room runs through Tanook Hines, Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. The defense has a famous name in charge now, with former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as coordinator and Rob Ryan as assistant head coach.
What time is USC vs Ohio State, and what channel?
Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 31 (4:30 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, 11:30 p.m. in the UK). NBC has it nationally in the US, and the Big Ten confirmed the slot on October 19, per Ohio State's official announcement. In Columbus it is also on 97.1 The Fan and the Ohio State Sports Network radio.
Outside the US, check local listings. DAMITV will stream it free in HD, no account needed, on our football streams hub.
Have these two played much before?
More than you might think for teams 2,000 miles apart. USC leads the all-time series 13-10-1, and a lot of that history comes from the Rose Bowl, back when the game matched the Big Ten champion with the West Coast champion. Ohio State won the last meeting, 24-7 in the 2017 Cotton Bowl.
This is the first time they have met as conference opponents, since USC joined the Big Ten in 2024. It took three seasons for the schedule to send the Buckeyes to the Coliseum.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Photo: MikeJiroch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Can Ohio State still win this without Sayin?
Yes, and it is probably still the favorite. The Buckeyes are 6-1 and 4-0 in the league, No. 3 in the AP poll, and the only loss was a one-point game at Texas in week two. Matt Patricia's defense held Indiana to 15 points on the road, allowed 3 points twice in nonconference play, and kept Iowa and Maryland to 14 and 16.
The plan writes itself. Run the ball with Bo Jackson and Ja'Kobi Jackson, keep Fahey in manageable third downs, and throw it up to Smith when USC leaves him one-on-one. New coordinator Arthur Smith came from the NFL and likes a physical run game anyway, so this may not be as big a change for him as it would be for some play-callers.
USC's job is just as clear: score early and make a freshman throw from behind. Maiava has been good enough this season to do that.
Who wins?
I keep going back and forth. Ohio State has the better roster and the better defense, and Day's teams rarely lose games like this in October. But first road starts are hard, the Coliseum on a Saturday night is loud, and Maiava is playing as well as any quarterback Ohio State has seen this year.
I'll lean Ohio State, 27-23, with the defense doing most of the work. If USC wins, Riley's season changes shape completely and the Trojans become a real playoff team. If you want the afternoon game first, our Georgia vs Florida preview has the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Atlanta, and the Broncos vs Chiefs preview covers part of Sunday.
