Rainy Night Upsets No. 2 Ohio State

A 69-yard touchdown catch on the second play from scrimmage set the tone for a chaotic evening in Los Angeles. The ball went to freshman Trent Mosley, who outran Ohio State’s secondary to give Southern California an early lead. It was the longest play allowed by the Buckeyes’ defense in the entire season.

The game took place on Saturday night under a light, steady rain at the Los Angeles Coliseum. USC, which had just suffered a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin the previous week, turned that momentum around quickly. The Trojans built a 20-9 lead by halftime, scoring more points against Ohio State’s defense than the Buckeyes had allowed in any single game since 2024.

Lincoln Riley, the head coach at USC, secured the biggest win of his five-year tenure. It was the first time his team had defeated a top-12 opponent. Prior to this season, the Trojans had not beaten a top-five team at home since 2015.

Ohio State entered the game ranked No. 2, but they faced challenges on both sides of the ball. Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey started in place of Julian Sayin, who injured his arm two weeks earlier at Indiana. Fahey completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards. Despite the volume, the Buckeyes managed only three field goals in their first five drives.

The USC defense limited Ohio State’s scoring for nearly the entire contest. The Buckeyes did not find the end zone until Jeremiah Smith caught a 1-yard pass with 2:12 remaining. Their subsequent 2-point conversion attempt failed, and USC recovered the onside kick. The Trojans then kicked a field goal with 1:46 left to seal the 30-18 margin.

USC’s Jayden Maiava passed for 222 yards and a touchdown. King Miller and Waymond Jordan each rushed for scores. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman added a 70-yard reception in the second half, where he hurdled a defender and broke multiple tackles. That play set up Miller’s touchdown run, which extended the lead to 27-9.

Ohio State finished with 464 total yards, including 121 rushing yards from Bo Jackson. Jeremiah Smith had 10 receptions for 83 yards. The loss drops the Buckeyes to 6-2 and marks the first time they have lost two games this early in a season since 2011. It also extends their record against unranked teams to 58-2 under coach Ryan Day.

USC will have a bye week before traveling to Indiana on November 14. Ohio State will host Oregon on Saturday. The Buckeyes remain in the College Football Playoff race despite the setback, while USC is expected to re-enter the AP Top 25.