USC Stuns Ohio State as Buckeyes Face Questions at Quarterback

Ohio State managed just 18 points in a 30-18 loss to USC in Los Angeles on October 31, its first game since Julian Sayin suffered an elbow injury. The Buckeyes fell to 6-2, and their offense failed to score a touchdown until the fourth quarter against a USC defense that had struggled to prevent long passes this season.

Making his first road start, freshman Luke Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown. Ohio State had 484 total yards, but struggled to protect Fahey and convert in the red zone. Coach Ryan Day said the team had to speed up once it fell behind, while trying not to rush a young quarterback into mistakes. He said Fahey competed, but that the team needed to improve how it supported him.

Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes on 12 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown. His late score was Ohio State’s first of the game, with 2:12 remaining. Smith, who had been a leading Heisman contender, dropped to third in the odds cited by the report, behind Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney. Mensah threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns in Miami’s win over North Carolina; Toney caught two touchdown passes.

Ohio State’s remaining schedule includes Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan, with the Oregon game offering a chance to revive its Big Ten title hopes. USC has three games left, against Indiana, Maryland and UCLA, and the win strengthened its path toward the College Football Playoff. Coach Lincoln Riley’s team will need to sustain its form through that stretch.