Ohio State Buckeyes will travel across the country to take on the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. There is no shortage of interesting preview stories for this game, especially following the USC loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 24. The Buckeyes will start Luke Fahey at quarterback after starter Julian Sayin was injured and is out for the season. This game once seemed like a disaster for Ohio State, and now looks winnable.
There are some ties between these two traditional college football powers. Freshmen wide receivers Chris Henry Jr. and Kaden Dixon Wyatt both played for Mater Dei High School. Dixon-Wyatt flipped his commitment from the Ohio State Buckeyes to the USC Trojans. There is also former top Ohio State target in defensive end Luke Wafle. He has 33 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a pass breakup. Do you think familiarity breeds contempt?
Ohio State Buckeyes at USC Trojans Preview
The Quarterbacks will be the Key
The quarterbacks will be important in this game. Much has been made of the Ohio State Buckeyes being led out west by backup quarterback Luke Fahey. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to being the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback. Expect the team to run the ball more at quarterback, with some run-pass options. Jayden Maiava is the quarterback for the Trojans. He is very talented, and this season he has thrown for 2,303 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is 183-of-274 on his passing attempts.
The USC Defense is Poor and Porous
The USC defense may be just what the doctor ordered for Fahey and the Buckeyes. The Trojans’ defense has struggled. It ranks number thirty-four in rushing defense (114.88 yards per game), and only number forty-five in total defense (331 yards per game). They are number seventy-seven in scoring defense (25 points per game), and number seventy-ninein passing defense (216.4 yards per game).
A Must-Win For USC
Following the loss at Wisconsin last week, 24-7, USC is now 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Conference. They face Ohio State, then Indiana. They could easily be 6-4, and given the skill on their roster, such a record could spell the end for USC coach Lincoln Riley. USC had the number one recruiting class in 2026, per 247 Sports. They have squandered that talent, a lot of which was on the offensive side of the ball.
Tops in the class was wide receiver Kaden Dixon-Wyatt. It was thought the talented young man would follow his high school teammate, Chris Henry Jr., to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both players played for Mater Dei High School. He did not, saying that the fact that Brian Hartline left for the head coaching position at South Florida influenced his decision-making. He has played well this season with 432 yards receiving on 33 receptions with 4 touchdowns.
Cloudy With a Chance of Rain
Though it is always supposed to be sunny in Los Anagles, for this game the weather forecast is for clouds with a 70% chance of rain. That could put a premium on the running game for both teams. With Ja’Kobi Jackson out for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Bo Jackson, Isiah West, and Legend Bey will have to have a good game. USC has a good running back named King Miller. This year has 125 carries for 602 yards and four touchdowns. He could also be important in the rain. Ohio State’s defensive line is going to have to play well if they are to contain Miller.
Conclusion: Fall Back
For those of us in the Eastern Time Zone, the fact that this game is taking place on the night we set our clocks back is great! The game starts at 7:30 pm, and likely will not end until 11:00 pm Eastern. That is 10 pm, with the extra hour of sleep. Thankfully, the Ohio State Buckeyes against Oregon has been set for a 3:30 kick on CBS. Oregon is considerably weaker than they were supposed to be, like USC. This should be another fairly easy game for the Buckeyes.
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