No. 2 Ohio State visits USC at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night, with the Buckeyes breaking in a new quarterback after starter Julian Sayin suffered a throwing-arm injury, according to Yardbarker’s preview and NBC Sports’ prediction coverage, which both confirm the same matchup, kickoff and injury situation. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, according to both sources, with Ohio State favoured by 6.5 points, according to NBC Sports.
Sayin is out indefinitely with a throwing-arm injury, according to Yardbarker, after throwing for 2,007 yards, 19 touchdowns and only four interceptions before the injury, according to the Grueling Truth preview. True freshman Luke Fahey and sophomore Tavien St. Clair are competing to start, according to Yardbarker, with Fahey appearing the likely starter, according to Covers’ prediction coverage.
A new quarterback, a familiar defence
Ohio State enters the game 6-1 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play, according to Yardbarker, riding a five-game winning streak since its loss to Texas, according to the same source. The Buckeyes average 39.3 points and 476.3 yards per game, according to Yardbarker, but their biggest strength is defence, allowing just 13.4 points and 264.3 yards per game, according to the same source — a unit that must now carry more weight without Sayin.
Fahey has completed nine of 13 passes for 203 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions, according to Statsalt’s preview, while St. Clair has completed five of seven passes for 52 yards, according to the same source. Either way, Ohio State is expected to lean on running backs Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson, plus Heisman frontrunner Jeremiah Smith, according to NBC Sports, who has 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns, according to the Grueling Truth preview.
USC needs a response after Wisconsin collapse
USC enters the game 6-2, according to Yardbarker, after a stunning 24-7 loss at Wisconsin, according to the same source, in which the Trojans produced only 241 total yards and finished with minus-17 rushing yards, according to the Grueling Truth preview. Quarterback Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions and was sacked five times, according to NBC Sports, in arguably his worst game of the season, according to the same source.
USC’s playoff hopes, according to NBC Sports, depend on splitting its remaining games against Ohio State and Indiana at minimum, according to the same source, making Saturday a season-defining game for Lincoln Riley’s team. Ohio State has not won a true road game at USC since 1946, according to the Grueling Truth preview, and Saturday night at a sold-out Coliseum, according to the Buckeye preview, will test whether a freshman quarterback can end that drought.
