USC Drops No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 Behind Early Strike, Buckeye Penalties

Ohio State's offense moved the ball for 126 more yards than USC and held the ball for nearly 19 more minutes, but the second-ranked Buckeyes never led and fell 30-18 to the Trojans on Saturday in Los Angeles. The defeat marks Ohio State's first loss to an unranked opponent since Michigan beat the Buckeyes 13-10 at Ohio Stadium on Nov. 30, 2024.

USC struck on the second play from scrimmage. Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava hit wide receiver Trent Mosley on a screen pass, and Mosley ran 69 yards for a touchdown 39 seconds into the game. Ohio State committed 11 penalties in the game, including a personal-foul flag that helped USC build a 14-3 lead after a 9-yard rushing touchdown by Waymond Jordan. The Buckeyes trailed by as much as 18 points, their largest deficit since a 45-23 loss to Michigan on Nov. 26, 2022.

Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey made his first start after Julian Sayin's season ended with a shoulder injury suffered against Indiana. Fahey threw for 260 yards and one touchdown without a turnover. Ohio State's offense entered USC territory on eight possessions but did not reach the end zone until less than three minutes remained in the fourth quarter, with the game already out of reach.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said the Buckeyes did not protect their first-year starter. "It's extremely frustrating coming into a game like this with a young quarterback and not [to] play cleaner than we did," Day said. "Just too many penalties." He added, "As a team, we weren't able to, to me, play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who's had his first start on the road like this."

The Buckeyes' defense gave up 20 points in the first half, the most since Oregon scored 22 against Ohio State on Oct. 12, 2024. Ohio State cut the deficit to 12 points in the fourth quarter on a 47-yard field goal by Connor Hawkins. Tight end Jeremiah Smith then caught a touchdown with 2:12 left to break the Big Ten record for touchdown receptions and make it 27-18. The Buckeyes failed on the ensuing two-point conversion, their first attempt to convert since a 49-21 win over Indiana on Aug. 31, 2017. USC added a field goal to close at 30-18.

Day pointed to turnovers, special teams and defensive lapses. "The turnover was huge," Day said. "There [were] a couple special teams plays that flipped the field, and then the explosive plays that they had on offense. That's really the story." Ohio State running back Isaiah West fumbled in USC territory, leading to a 70-yard reception by tight end Mark Bowman and a touchdown by King Miller that pushed the lead to 18 points.

Safety Jaylen McClain said USC's opening score reflected a lapse. "I feel like they made a good play, and it was just a little bit of lack of effort on our end, and they scored and at the end of the day can't let that happen," McClain said. "[We've] gotta watch the film, flush it, and just learn from it and just move on."

Ohio State dropped to two losses on the season. The Buckeyes host Oregon, Northwestern and Michigan and travel to Nebraska in their remaining games. "Our backs are against the wall; we have two losses, and that's something that we're gonna have to fight back against," tight end Mason Williams said. "We have a big stretch coming down the road, and [we] just [have] to go out there and battle every day."