Ryan Day and Ohio State will face a now-unranked USC team led by Lincoln Riley for a Big Ten West Coast showdown on Halloween night. 

This Saturday, the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the now-unranked USC Trojans out west on Halloween afternoon, a night game for those in Columbus. The scarlet and gray are looking to keep their perfect conference record intact, while the wine and gold try to bounce back after an underwhelming performance in their last outing.

Ryan Day’s side have responded well since their week two second-half meltdown at then fourth-ranked Texas. They have won five straight games and defeated then fifth-ranked Indiana two weeks ago. USC won its first four games of the season but has dropped two of its last four, including a big loss at Wisconsin last week.

Both teams have questions after the past few weeks. Ohio State’s quarterback situation is a big concern, and the bye week came at a great time to get the quarterback acclimated and other injuries rested. USC only mustered seven points last game and has struggled on the defensive side of the ball all season.

This is a season-defining type of game for both sides as they look to carry momentum into the final month of the season. A win for the Buckeyes keeps all their goals within reach and builds confidence as they head into the rest of the season. A win for the Trojans keeps them alive heading into their bye week with some monster games left on their schedule.

Let’s dive into both teams’ most recent games and what to expect in this Halloween matchup.

Ohio State Gets Revenge In Nail-Biting Thriller at Indiana

Ryan Day’s crew is coming off a bye week after defeating a top-five Indiana Hoosiers side in their most recent game, 19-15. It was a tight contest which saw the Buckeyes take a 13-7 lead early in the second half. A fourth-quarter score by Jeremiah Smith was immediately matched by Nick Marsh to make the score 19-15, with Marsh stepping out of bounds on a potential game-winning score late in the game.

It was not the best game for quarterback Julian Sayin, who suffered a second-half injury that will keep him out for an extended period. He finished 15/29 for 235 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Freshman backup quarterback Luke Fahey came in the game and failed to complete either of his two passing attempts, but will likely start at USC.

Jeremiah Smith showed his heroics again, hauling in one of Sayin’s touchdown passes for 38 yards, along with four grabs for 68 yards. Chris Henry Jr. (51 yards) and Mason Williams (45 yards) stepped up in the passing game while Bo Jackson (touchdown reception) had a huge score right before halftime.

The ground game struggled as they faced a talented Indiana defense and defensive line. Bo Jackson ran 18 times for 56 yards, while Isaiah West showed more explosiveness with six carries for 45 yards. Ja’Kobi Jackson and Austin Siereveld were out for this one, which made it even tougher, and Legend Bey got a few carries.

The defense gave up 296 yards to Indiana as they threw the ball a lot after trailing the entire second half. Charlie Becker did what he does, going for nine grabs and 165 yards, with Nick Marsh finishing with 57 yards and a touchdown reception.

Indiana’s running game also failed to get moving, finishing with 29 carries for 73 yards. They averaged just 2.5 yards per carry and had a longest rush of just eight yards. The playmakers on the defense made big plays, with Earl Little Jr. and Tarvos Alford both getting a fumble recovery.

Little Jr. and freshman Jay Timmons both came up big, combining for 15 tackles and 3 passes defended. Jaylen McClain had a huge sack and Will Smith Jr. had the only other tackle for loss. Different guys stepped up in big moments and held a talented Indiana offense to 15 points and just seven points through three quarters.

USC Lays A Dud As They Struggle at Wisconsin

Lincoln Riley’s squad suffered their second loss in four weeks as they fell to the Wisconsin Badgers 24-7, struggling to run the ball and stop the run at times. They took the lead 7-3 early in the second quarter on a Taniela Tupou four-yard touchdown catch, but they gave up 21 unanswered and failed to score again.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava finished 31/50 for 258 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He struggled at times, and the passing attack didn’t produce any big plays. He spread the ball around, as they have a variety of guys who impact the offense, with four guys having at least four catches and 43 yards.

The ground game gave them nothing, with the team total counting sacks being -17 yards rushing on 25 attempts. They had just one rusher over five yards, no rushing touchdowns, and a longest rush of seven yards.

Wisconsin also didn’t do much through the air, but this was by design, with only 14 attempts and 58 passing yards. They did score through the air, but two of their scores came on the ground. They had three rushes with 32 yards or more, and rushed for 142 yards as a team.

The Trojan defense totaled two sacks and seven tackles for loss but failed to force a turnover, and the Badgers put together some long touchdown drives as they controlled the second half. It was a more defensive game with neither team having a crazy amount of penalties or mistakes. Wisconsin is trending upwards, and USC is moving in the wrong direction.

Saturday Night Out West

Ohio State is still one of the best teams in the country, but losing Julian Sayin will require the best players and leaders on this team to step up even more in his absence. The passing offense has been a strength, but the rushing game will need to get going. The defense remains one of the best in all major categories and will look to help out the offense with some short fields.

The USC offense is also amongst the best in the passing game but struggles mightily on the ground. On defense, they are much better against the run than the pass, so it isn’t the worst situation for a new quarterback to throw against, especially when you have number four out wide.

While these two programs don’t have much recent history, they have battled in bowl games plenty of times. This is a new era of college football with two offensive minds going head-to-head.

USC has struggled in recent matchups with ranked teams, going 2-7 in these games as of late. Ohio State, on the other hand, is 11-1 on the road in October under Ryan Day. I trust the Buckeyes to hold the opposing offense in check and make enough plays with their playmakers to get a result.

The spread opened as Ohio State -7.5 and is now down to Ohio State -6.5, with the moneyline at Ohio State -245 and USC +200. The over/under point total opened at 55.5 and is now down to 51.5, with the injury to Julian Sayin being a factor in that.

Jeremiah Smith, Jay Timmons (if healthy), and the playmakers on both sides of the ball will make enough plays to overcome the backup-quarterback situation and the road environment. It isn’t exactly a tough place to play, and the coaching staff will have a script in place for this offense to succeed with the defense bailing them out at times.

Jeremiah Smith finds the end zone yet again, while Brandon Inniss helps out in the short passing game with a score. The Buckeyes add another solid win to their resume as they head into the final third of the regular season.

Prediction: Ohio State 27, USC 17