The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes travel to face the USC Trojans on Saturday night in a pivotal Big Ten Conference matchup at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Ohio State enters the game with a 6-1 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in conference play, having won five consecutive games. The Buckeyes are coming off a 19-15 road victory at Indiana on October 17.
USC, sitting seventh in the Big Ten standings at 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference, suffered a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin in Week 8. The Trojans hold a 4-1 home record this season. Historically, USC leads the all-time series 13-10-1, though Ohio State claimed a 24-7 win in their most recent meeting at the 2017 Cotton Bowl.
Betting Lines and Model Projections
Ohio State opens as a 6.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 50.5 points — down five points from the opening total of 55.5. The Buckeyes are 5-2 against the spread this season, while USC is 2-6. The money line lists Ohio State at -245 and USC at +200.
According to the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulated the game 10,000 times, the Over 50.5 points is the recommended play, hitting in 51% of simulations. The model projects 51 combined points. Ohio State averages a conference-high 39.3 points per game, while USC averages 32.8, ranking seventh in the Big Ten.
Quarterback Matchup
Ohio State will start true freshman Luke Fahey at quarterback in place of the injured Julian Sayin. The model projects Fahey to throw for 270 yards and two touchdowns. For USC, quarterback Jayden Maiava is expected to pass for over 235 yards and one touchdown.
The model also indicates one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations, though that specific pick is available only through SportsLine. The model entered Week 9 on a 68-59 run on top-rated college football picks.
