TRENDING Rays rally, avoid sweep Jayson Tatum buzzer-beater NFL Power Rankings WNBA Finals schedule fiasco Anthony Edwards injury Story by Story by Ohio State vs USC Prediction: Will the Buckeye Quarterback Situation Matter? Pete Fiutak Wed, October 28, 2026 at 5:02 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It's Ohio State. It's among the most super of superpowers. It's one of those programs with no excuses. It gets just about any player it wants, its realistic expectations are national title or bust, and it's one of the few programs that can lose its starting quarterback and still reasonably be considered the No. 1 team in the country. But now it has to go at least the next several weeks without star quarterback Julian Sayin, who injured his shoulder in the win over Indiana a few weeks ago. There's a quarterback battle to see who steps into the role as the team travels to Los Angeles to face a desperate USC team in a whole lot of trouble. The Trojans are 6-2, but they just got stuffed by Wisconsin in a punishing 24-7 loss, and with a brutal schedule to close, the Lincoln Riley hot seat is flaming. On the plus side, win, and the team is still deep in the College Football Playoff hunt.
It doesn't get any easier for USC with a trip to Indiana next after a week off, and then Maryland, and it all closes at UCLA.
Ohio State finishes with three of its last four games in Columbus, hosting Oregon next week. The road game is at Nebraska.
This is the first time these two have met since a 24-7 Ohio State win in the 2017 Cotton Bowl. USC has won seven or the last eight in the series goning back to the 1974 Rose Bowl.
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026 Game Time: 7:30 PM ET TV: NBC Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA – Week 9 Schedule, Game Previews – CFN Top 25 | Bowl Projections – Predicting the First CFP Top 25 – CFN Week 9 Expert Picks
USC just isn't that great. It has a wonderful 6-2 record, quarterback Jayden Maiava is terrific, and there's still pop and explosion to worry about, but there are flaws. It beat Washington and Penn State, but lost at home to a struggling Oregon, and couldn't get anything going against the Badgers. Ohio State isn't the Ohio State of previous seasons, but it's still good enough to beat anyone else this year. To win, the Buckeyes have to screw up, but USC doesn't take the ball away with just six turnovers forced on the season, and there's little running game to worry about. USC ran well on Rutgers and Louisiana, and that's about it. Slow down the midrange USC passing game, slow down USC.
If Ohio State didn't exactly go turn-it-loose full-throttle with Julian Sayin under center, what will it do with Luke Fahey and/or Tavien St. Clair? Both are talented prospects, and no matter who is under center, there's still Jeremiah Smith and a loaded receiving corps to throw to, but this is where the offense has to rely on the running game, and it might not be able to do it. The Buckeyes are averaging a pedestrian four yards per carry, and were stuffed by Indiana two weeks ago, gaining just 37 yards. Fahey missed both of his throws against Indiana, and St. Clair has only seen the lightest of mop-up work so far.
Which team has another gear? Can USC's run defense ball out, and can Jayden Maiava play like the best quarterback on the field? Or will the Ohio State defense step up and keep the big pass plays to a minimum? Yes, Indiana came within a few inches from beating Ohio State, but Josh Hoover only hit 50% of his passes, and only Arch Manning has been able to complete more than 56% against the Buckeyes. Maiava will have a nice day, but the Trojans will stall a bit too often. It won't be pretty, but the Buckeyes will take advantage of a few good field position chances to survive and advance in a relatively low-scoring game.
Ohio State 23, USC 16 Latest Consensus Line: Ohio State -6.5, o/u: 51.5 ATS Confidence (out of 5) : 2.5 Must See Rating (out of 5) : 4
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Source: Sports
0 Comments