LOS ANGELES – Here are four things we learned from No. 2 Ohio State’s 30-18 loss at No. 25 USC on Oct. 31:
Quarterback is not the only question
The situation at quarterback following Julian Sayin’s injury dominated the conversation in recent weeks.
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It led the Buckeyes to start an inexperienced freshman behind center rather than a returning Heisman Trophy finalist who had made 21 consecutive starts.
But even if Luke Fahey missed a handful of throws that left points on the scoreboard, most notably an overthrown pass to Devin McCuin in the end zone in the second quarter, there were more glaring issues.
USC Trojans tight end Mark Bowman (19) leaps over Ohio State Buckeyes safety Jaylen McClain (8) during the NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31, 2026. Ohio State lost 30-18.
The Buckeyes allowed 30 points for the first time since Matt Patricia was hired as defensive coordinator last year.
They were vulnerable to explosive plays, allowing seven plays of at least 15 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Trent Mosley on the Trojans‘ second play from scrimmage and a 70-yard pass to tight end Mark Bowman that set up another score in the third quarter.
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The Buckeyes had entered this weekend as one of only two teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision that had not allowed a play from scrimmage of 40 or more yards.
The explosiveness allowed the Trojans to finish eight of 11 drives, excluding the final kneel down, in Ohio State’s territory.
Along with the breakdowns, they sacked quarterback Jayden Maiava only once, the third straight game that their pass rush was unable to finish with multiple sacks.
Instead of carrying a heavier load in the aftermath of Sayin’s injury, the defense looked like more of a liability.
Penalties are a problem
Penalties put Ohio State in an early hole.
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When the Buckeyes were set to go for it on fourth down at USC’s 37-yard line in the first quarter, a false start upended the drive. The penalty left them facing fourth-and-9, leading them to punt.
The ensuing return by USC wide receiver Trent Mosley not only went for 44 yards, bringing the Trojans past midfield, but defensive end Beau Atkinson was flagged for a late hit, tacking on 15 yards. The Trojans capitalized on the favorable position with a touchdown that gave them a 14-6 lead.
The Buckeyes suffered other costly penalties in the red zone in the second quarter.
An illegal substitution turned a third-and-4 into third-and-9 at USC’s 16-yard line, and a false start at the 1-yard line pushed the Buckeyes back from the doorstep of the end zone. They settled for field goals on both series.
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The Buckeyes were ultimately flagged 11 times for 75 yards, matching their highest number of penalties in a game since 2022.
Three were false starts, an issue that stemmed in part from a change at quarterback and the varying cadence.
“That led to some of it,” Day said. “But there were other things that had nothing to do with the fact that Luke was in the game as opposed to Julian.”
False starts have been a reoccurring issue for the Buckeyes in recent road trips. They had two at Indiana and five at Iowa earlier in October.
Red zone issues are unresolved
Ohio State had trouble finishing drives in the end zone, a trend that mirrored its previous loss in September.
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When the Buckeyes fell at Texas, they failed to maximize opportunities in the red zone, finishing with a touchdown on just two of five trips inside the 20-yard line against the Longhorns.
The Buckeyes moved inside the red zone four times at USC, but only once ended with a touchdown.
The most difficult moment came in the second quarter when Fahey’s sneak for a touchdown was overturned, leaving the Buckeyes with a first down at the Trojans’ 1-yard line.
Rather than try another quarterback sneak, running back Bo Jackson was stuffed for no gain and the false start pushed them back 5 yards.
Fahey’s next two passes fell incomplete, leading the Buckeyes to settle for one of their four field goals.
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The wasted opportunities left the Buckeyes with too big of a deficit to overcome in the second half.
The playoff path is narrowing
The Buckeyes will have little margin for error in their College Football Playoff push in November.
No one with more than two losses during the regular season has made the playoff since the expansion to 12 teams in 2024.
Even if chaos continues to reign across the country, leaving contenders saddled with additional losses in the weeks ahead, the Buckeyes will need to run the table in order to feel secure about making the playoff for a third straight season.
Three of the four games are in Columbus. But Oregon and Northwestern have been ranked at points in recent weeks, and the annual rivalry game against Michigan presents its unique own set of challenges.
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Nebraska might be the worst of the bunch, but even the Cornhuskers have a winning record and the game will be in Lincoln the weekend.
It also remains to be seen how the selection committee will evaluate the Buckeyes following the loss of Sayin. Even if their resume has signature wins over Indiana and Iowa, the committee is likely to factor the reality that Ohio State is not at full strength.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 4 things we learned from Ohio State football’s loss at USC
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