The newly No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are heading out west Halloween night for a clash with the USC Trojans under the lights of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This matchup is going to set the tone for the entire remainder of the season. The Buckeyes were forced to pivot to a new name at quarterback after the loss of junior leader Julian Sayin. Either true freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair is set to make their first career college start. As of now, head coach Ryan Day has not announced the starter, mentioning that both quarterbacks could see time on the field.

Getting to Know the Trojans

USC is 6-2 on the year with wins over San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, Rutgers, Washington and Penn State. They have losses to Oregon and Wisconsin. They have a gauntlet ahead, matching up with the likes of Ohio State, Indiana and UCLA in their last four games. The Trojans are led by head coach Lincoln Riley, who is in his fifth year in Los Angeles.

Offensively, they are led by senior quarterback Jayden Maiava, who has put up 2,302 yards, 19 passing touchdowns (21 total) with an 82.5 QBR and 66.8% completion rate. His 2,302 yards are third in the nation and his 21 total touchdowns have him at sixth nationally. Maiava has numerous weapons surrounding him on offense, including sophomore running back King Miller, who has run for 602 yards this season, which is 38th in the nation. In the receiving room, he has five different players with over 200 total yards this season. The freshman duo of Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley lead the bunch, with 443 and 411 yards. They are followed by sophomores Zacharyus Williams, Tanook Hines and the freshman tight end Mark Bowman.

Defensively, the Trojans are a middle of the pack team nationally. They allow an average of 25.0 PPG, putting them at 13th in the Big Ten. On top of that, they allow 331.3 total yards of offense a game, which is 11th in the Big Ten. Their strongest stat on defense is rushing yards per game, where they are ranked 8th in the conference with 114.9 per game. To sum it up, this team is nowhere near an elite defense like OSU faced vs. Indiana in their last game.

Keys to the Game

Make the Quarterback Comfortable: OSU’s quarterback will certainly be undergoing some nerves in their first career start, at night, on the road. The Buckeyes must run simple plays to allow the offense to get some rhythm. This will get them into the flow of the game, helping increase their confidence as drives progress. Plus, having Jeremiah Smith as a weapon will help substantially.

Pressure Jayden Maiava: Against the Wisconsin Badgers defensive pressure last weekend, Maiava’s PFF grade dropped from an 85.5 with a clean pocket to 48.4 under pressure. If the Buckeyes can put major pressure, it’s more than likely he will crumble. When pressured, he has a tendency to make poor decisions, evidenced by his 5 interceptions this year.

Establish the Run Game: The Buckeyes passing game will take a hit this week, as they are without their starter. The rushing game will have to step up the production this week, essentially filling the gap of Julian Sayin’s absence. The sophomore duo of Bo Jackson and Isaiah West should shoot for well over 100 combined scrimmage yards Saturday night.

Wrap-Up and Prediction

The Buckeyes are facing a serious test this weekend, as they venture into new waters with a young, inexperienced quarterback. Despite this, the talent surrounding Fahey/St. Clair will carry them to a win.

Ohio State wins 34-27