Ohio State Buckeyes Present Tough Offensive Challenge for USC Trojans

Ohio State will travel to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Oct. 31 to face USC in a much-anticipated matchup between the two blue bloods and first as Big Ten opponents.

The Buckeyes present the toughest offensive triplets — consisting of a starting quarterback, lead running back and a top pass catcher, the Trojans are set to face in 2026.

Ohio State Offensive Triplets

USC Trojans Ohio State Buckeyes KJ Duff Dante Moore Oregon Julian Sayin Bo Jackson Jeremiah Smith Gary Patterson Schedule — Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) laughs during the first day of spring workouts for the 2026 football season at Woody Hayes Athletic Complex in Columbus on March 10, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It’s a close debate between them and Oregon. The Ducks have the advantage at quarterback with Dante Moore, but the Buckeyes have the edge at running back and wide receiver.

Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is the only returning Heisman finalist in college football. The Southern California native was excellent in his first season as the starter in Columbus.

Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. His biggest superpower is his accuracy. When he gets in a rhythm, the Buckeyes redshirt sophomore signal-caller is surgical. Sayin’s 77.0 completion percentage set a new is a Big Ten Record. He enters this season high on NFL Draft boards but with something to prove as well after a disappointing two-game stretch to end last season.

Bo Jackson proved very early last season that he was the best running back on the Ohio State roster. He took over as the starter in September and was one of three true freshmen to top 1,000 rushing yards in 2025. The sophomore tailback is underrated pass-catcher out of the backfield and is just scratching the surface of the player he can be.

Jeremiah Smith would have been a top 10 pick two years after a sensational freshman season. For a school that has produced the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Garrett Wilson, just to name a few in recent memory, Smith tops all of them in an Ohio State uniform.

The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Smith is a two-time first team All-American. He’s an alien at the position. The junior receiver has his eyes on winning the Biletnikoff Award, after USC’s Makai Lemon brought home the hardware last year, and helping the Buckeyes get back to the national championship.

Ohio State hired former NFL head coach Matt Patricia to be their defensive coordinator and the results was No. 1 defense in the country. They dove back into the NFL ranks again this offseason and hired former head coach Arthur Smith to be their offensive coordinator.

New-Look Defense at USC

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Transfer Portal Skyler Jones Alex VanSumeren Jahkeem Stewart Jide Abasiri Spring — USC Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson | USC Trojans on SI

USC made a big splash this offseason with the hiring of defensive coordinator Gary Patterson. The former longtime TCU head coach built great defenses for two decades in Fort Worth and a big reason why he’s headed to the College Football Hall of Fame.

He is looking to build similar success in Los Angeles. Except now, Patterson has more talent and resources than he’s ever had in front of him. The question is he can maximize it in year one and build a unit that creates problems for its opponents.

Rutgers receiver KJ Duff will challenge the Trojans secondary in week 3 with his 6-foot-6 and 225-pound frame. And then USC will see the entire offensive package when Oregon rolls into town the following week. Matchups against Washington and Penn State in early October will also test the Trojans new-look defense before they host Ohio State in late October.

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