USC Rout Sends Ohio State Tumbling in College Football Rankings

Southern California ended Ohio State’s hopes of leaving Los Angeles with a win, taking control for a 38-10 victory on October 31. The Buckeyes played without injured quarterback Julian Sayin, and freshman Luke Fahey threw for 260 yards but did not lead a scoring drive until the final minutes. Ohio State has now lost twice before November for the first time since 2011.

The result continued a volatile stretch in the rankings: 11 teams from the AP Top 10 had lost over four weeks, including four ranked second or higher. USC, which had fallen out of the poll, is expected to return. One projection placed Ohio State at No. 11, down from No. 2.

Other ranked teams had close calls and defeats. No. 4 Indiana needed overtime to beat Minnesota 23-16, while No. 13 Texas Tech defeated No. 22 Arizona 34-26 behind Tommy Castellanos, who accounted for three touchdowns. Syracuse scored late to beat No. 17 SMU, and Iowa State edged No. 24 Oklahoma State 51-49 on a last-second field goal.

Miami held off North Carolina 38-35, and Georgia beat Florida 27-8. A projected playoff bracket moved Indiana into the Big Ten champion spot and placed Ohio State among the at-large teams. The next week brings several consequential games, including Miami against Notre Dame, Utah against BYU, and Georgia against Ole Miss.