No. 2 Ohio State visits USC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with NBC carrying the game, and the Buckeyes will do it without their starting quarterback. Ohio State is 6-1 and 4-0 in the Big Ten, second in the standings behind unbeaten UCLA and ahead of Indiana at 4-1. Lincoln Riley's USC is 6-2 and 3-2 in conference play, seventh in the standings, and fell out of the AP Top 25 this week. It is the programs' first meeting since the 2017 Cotton Bowl and their first as Big Ten members, according to Sports Illustrated.
Julian Sayin hurt his throwing arm on a fourth-quarter sack in Ohio State's 19-15 win at No. 5 Indiana on Oct. 17, and coach Ryan Day said two days later that Sayin is out indefinitely and that the team is planning for him to miss the rest of the regular season, CBS Sports reported. Day had not named a starter as of Wednesday, with true freshman Luke Fahey competing against sophomore Tavien St. Clair, ESPN reported. CBS Sports and On3 reported Friday that Fahey, who is from Mission Viejo, California, is expected to start, which would make his first career start a homecoming. Ohio State's last loss came on Sept. 12, when Texas rallied from 23-3 down to win 24-23.
USC is trying to recover from a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin last week, when Jayden Maiava completed 31 of 50 passes for 258 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, according to the USA Today Network's Badgers Wire. It was a sharp turn from Oct. 10, when Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-23 win at Penn State, the Associated Press reported. He has 2,303 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions this season, and Eleven Warriors' preview noted a third loss would effectively end USC's playoff hopes. The Trojans listed seven players as out, including wide receivers Terrell Anderson and Corey Simms, with tight end Mark Bowman and defensive tackles Jahkeem Stewart and Jamaal Jarrett questionable, SI reported. Ohio State ruled out Sayin and running back Ja'Kobi Jackson, listed cornerback Jay Timmons as doubtful and receiver Brandon Inniss as questionable, according to Eleven Warriors, which also reported offensive lineman Austin Siereveld and defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. as cleared. Receiver Jeremiah Smith enters with 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns.
On Polymarket on Saturday afternoon, traders priced Ohio State's chance of winning at 68.5%, with USC at 31.5%. The price is a read of trader expectations rather than a result, and it comes with Ohio State's starting quarterback still unconfirmed hours before kickoff.
Ohio State had not announced a starter in the reporting reviewed for this story, and the final availability report is due 90 minutes before kickoff. The result will feed directly into the College Football Playoff committee's first rankings of the 2026 season, due Tuesday, Nov. 3.
