After a disappointing loss on the road to the Wisconsin Badgers, the USC Trojans have their hands full with the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes coming into Los Angeles for Saturday, Oct. 31, and USC coach Lincoln Riley shared some of his thoughts on the prime time matchup.
The Buckeyes' quarterback situation is an uncertain one with Ohio State's starting quarterback Julian Sayin out indefinitely. Backup quarterback Luke Fahey replaced Sayin after he suffered the injury in Ohio State's win over the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers, but coach Ryan Day would not confirm whether Fahey or fellow backup quarterback Tavien St. Clair would get the nod against USC.
In addition to touching on the quarterback situation, Riley revealed some of the Trojans' keys to potentially pulling off the upset as well as attempting to contain star Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Lincoln Riley on Ohio State Buckeyes
"Good team, no doubt. Explosive offensively and they've done some really good things since the Texas loss. They've done a nice job of rebounding from that. . . Got a lot of playmakers there. We'll see how the QB situation plays out Obviously, that's going to be a big factor."
As for the other side of the ball, USC's ground game could be cause for concern against the Buckeyes after the Trojans finished with -17 rushing yards against Wisconsin.
"They've played well defensively. They've also been able to stockpile on talent for years and years and you see that stack and stack onto each other. Definitely one of the biggest fronts we've seen. It'll take a complete game to beat them."
Ohio State's defensive line is led by Kenyatta Jackson, but the Buckeyes have had quality depth contribute on the defensive front throughout 2026, including Jaylen McClain, Jason Moore, Qua Russaw, Eddrick Houston, and more.
Lincoln Riley on Jeremiah Smith
However, the biggest star on Ohio State's roster is arguably wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, considered one of the best players in college football, regardless of position. Smith leads all Buckeyes receivers with 52 receptions, 984 yards, and 12 touchdowns. The next closest? Wide receiver Devin McCuin has loged 19 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
"I mean, a guy like that, you're not ever going to completely shut down somebody like that. But you've got to try to limit the damage as much as you can and not give him the 'gimmies' because you're putting so much attention on him."
Riley recognizes that the Buckeyes have multiple weapons outside of Smith, though.
"But the thing that makes Ohio State so tough is they're more than just him. They've got other weapons with the ability to run the ball and other weapons they can use in the throwing game. But obviously he's the feature player and is a tremendous player. We've got to throw different looks at him."
How USC's secondary defends Smith remains to be seen, but the Buckeyes have had an extra week to prepare for Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson and his unit. The quarterback uncertainty for Ohio State could help USC keep things close, but Smith and the Buckeyes are favored by 6.5 points, per betting odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. The same oddsmakers project Ohio State to score 29.5 points against the Trojans defense.
USC and Ohio State will kickoff from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
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.
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