No. 2 Ohio State Stunned by USC, 30-18, at the Coliseum

LOS ANGELES — USC beat then-No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a result that knocked the Buckeyes from playoff-favorite status and complicated an already unsettled season for Trojans coach Lincoln Riley. The win, in front of 70,810 fans, came in Ohio State's first game since starting quarterback Julian Sayin went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, according to the pregame reporting from Sports Illustrated.

Ohio State entered the night 6-1 and No. 2 in the country, with USC an unranked 6-2 after a loss to Wisconsin the week before. The final numbers made the outcome look upside down: Ohio State out-gained USC 464 yards to 338 and held the ball for nearly 40 minutes against barely 20 for the Trojans, per the Fox Sports box score. USC simply did more with less, converting big plays into points while Ohio State stalled at the wrong moments.

Freshman quarterback, veteran mistakes

True freshman Luke Fahey made his first career start in Sayin's place and finished 21-of-38 for 260 yards and a touchdown, with running back Bo Jackson adding 121 yards on 21 carries. Star receiver Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes for 83 yards and a score but was not used as the focal point of the game plan, according to SI's post-Week 9 rankings analysis, which pointed to a string of penalties and a turnover deep in USC territory late in the third quarter as the game's turning point. USC's offense leaned on efficiency rather than volume: receiver Trent Mosley caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and running back King Miller scored on 13 carries for 78 yards.

The loss dropped Ohio State to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in Big Ten play, while USC improved to 7-2 and 4-2 — a result the SI rankings projection has already bumping the Buckeyes down to around 10th nationally entering next week.

The injury to Sayin had already reshaped Ohio State's season before kickoff. Smith addressed the shakeup at quarterback this week, telling reporters the offense would adjust around whoever is under center, per AtoZ Sports. Fahey had seen only mop-up duty in blowout wins before Saturday, making his first road start one of the more difficult assignments possible: a true freshman, in a hostile Coliseum crowd, against a ranked opponent fighting for its own season.

For USC, the win offers Riley a measure of relief after a turbulent stretch that included the loss to Wisconsin and mounting outside scrutiny of his program's trajectory in his fifth season. For Ohio State, the result ends a run of Big Ten dominance and forces coach Ryan Day to settle on a long-term answer at quarterback with the season's stakes rising. Ohio State is scheduled to host Oregon next Saturday in a game that now carries far more urgency, while USC looks to build on the upset as it continues Big Ten play.