USC Faces No. 2 Ohio State in a Sold-Out Coliseum on Halloween Night With Its Season on the Line

Coming off a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin, Lincoln Riley's Trojans host the Buckeyes, who haven't named a starting quarterback, while unbeaten UCLA takes on Nevada at the Rose Bowl.

By Herald Staff · Oct. 31, 2026, 5:30 PM ET

A packed historic college football stadium at twilight in light rain, seen from high in the end-zone stands, with floodlights shining on a wet green field, a long arched colonnade topped by a lit torch tower, and palm trees and the downtown Los Angeles skyline under violet and orange storm clouds. — USC and Ohio State kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, their first meeting as Big Ten rivals. Rain was in the forecast for Saturday.

USC gets its biggest test of the season, and maybe of Lincoln Riley's tenure, on Halloween night. The Trojans (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) host No. 2 Ohio State (6-1, 4-0) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday, with the game on NBC and Peacock, according to USC Athletics. The Associated Press described the Coliseum as sold out for the matchup.

It is the first time the two schools have met as Big Ten members since USC joined the conference before the 2024 season, and their first meeting since 2017, the Coliseum said. Parking lots open at 10:30 a.m.

A Must-Have Game for the Trojans

USC comes in off a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin in which it ran 25 times for minus-18 yards and gave up five sacks, NBC Sports noted. Quarterback Jayden Maiava threw a season-high 50 passes that day, completing 31 for 257 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, according to USC's game notes.

The stakes are high. The Trojans are 0-5 against top-10 opponents under Riley, and a win would push them back into the College Football Playoff picture ahead of games against No. 4 Indiana on Nov. 14 and No. 7 UCLA on Nov. 28, The Sporting News wrote, calling it the most important game of Riley's time at USC. A loss would turn up the hot-seat talk.

Riley didn't play down the challenge. "Good team, no doubt. Explosive offensively and they've done some really good things since the Texas loss," he said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated. Of the Buckeyes' defensive front, he said, "Definitely one of the biggest fronts we've seen. It'll take a complete game to beat them."

USC still has one of the country's most productive passers. Maiava leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally with 2,303 passing yards, and he leads the conference with 19 touchdown passes, USC said. The Trojans average 32.8 points a game.

Ohio State's Quarterback Mystery

The Buckeyes have nearly everything else, but they haven't named a starting quarterback. Julian Sayin hurt his throwing arm two weeks ago in a 19-15 win over Indiana, and coach Ryan Day hasn't said whether Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will start, according to the AP and Sports Illustrated. Ohio State had last week off, and NBC Sports noted the Buckeyes have won 18 of 21 games after a bye since Day took over.

Whoever plays will have receiver Jeremiah Smith, whom NBC Sports called a Heisman Trophy frontrunner. Smith has 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, Sports Illustrated reported. Ohio State scores 39.3 points a game and allows 13.4.

Oddsmakers favor the visitors. DraftKings had Ohio State as a 6.5-point favorite as of Friday, with USC at +200 on the money line, according to NBC Sports.

A Long, Storied Rivalry

USC leads the all-time series 13-10-1 and has won eight of the last 10 meetings, according to its game notes. Seven of the games were Rose Bowls, where the Trojans are 4-3, including the 1975 game USC won 18-17 to clinch a national title and the 1980 game it won 17-16 on a late Charles White touchdown.

A Big Day for L.A. Football

Across town, No. 7 UCLA (7-0, 5-0 Big Ten) was hosting Nevada (3-4) at the Rose Bowl in a 1:15 p.m. kickoff on the Big Ten Network, chasing the program's first 8-0 start since 2005 under first-year coach Bob Chesney, Bruin Report Online noted. The Bruins have forced 22 turnovers, second most in the country, the Daily Bruin reported. UCLA has played with backup Ty Dieffenbach at quarterback since Nico Iamaleava's season-ending injury.

Fans heading out should plan for wet weather. Forecasts for Pasadena called for a 65% to 75% chance of rain Saturday, according to Bruin Report Online and Nevada Sports Net, on a night when Halloween crowds will also be out across the region.

Original reporting by The Los Angeles Herald, drawing on USC Athletics, the Associated Press, NBC Sports, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Bruin Report Online, the Daily Bruin and Nevada Sports Net, as linked above.