No. 2 Ohio State and USC will meet for the first time as Big Ten conference opponents on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, ending a scheduling gap that dates back to their last meeting in the 2017 Cotton Bowl.
The programs have faced each other 24 times historically, including seven games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and eight at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. USC enters the game unranked for the first time this season after a 17-7 loss at Wisconsin, while Ohio State remains second in the AP Top 25 but will be without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who was injured in the Buckeyes' 19-15 win over Indiana.
Redshirt freshman Luke Fahey will make his first career start at quarterback for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have a history of success with first-time starters on the road: Craig Krenzel won at Michigan in 2001, Kenny Guiton won at Cal in 2013, and C.J. Stroud won at Minnesota in 2021. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the nation's top receiver and Ohio State's all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns, will be Fahey's primary target as he pursues the Heisman Trophy.
USC holds a 9-2 home record in Big Ten games since joining the conference, but is just 1-2 at home against ranked opponents. Under coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans are 5-14 overall versus ranked teams, and quarterback Jayden Maiava is 1-5 as a starter against ranked opposition, with his lone win coming at home against Michigan last season.
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 31, and will be televised on NBC with a live stream available on Fubo.
Analysts lean toward the under on the 51.5-point total, citing Ohio State's likely offensive adjustment to a run-heavy approach and USC's struggles against ranked defenses. All nine CBS Sports experts picked Ohio State to win straight up.
SportsLine's computer model, which is on a 68-59 run on top-rated college football picks this season, has simulated the game 10,000 times.
