USC vs Ohio State Final Score: Trojans Upset No. 2 Buckeyes 30-18 as Fans Storm the Field
USC led 14-3 after one quarter and never trailed, beating No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night - Lincoln Riley's first win over a top-five team since 2017, against a Buckeyes team missing its starting quarterback.
LOS ANGELES - The field storm told the story. USC beat No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, jumping to a 14-3 first-quarter lead and holding the Buckeyes to four field goals and a single touchdown in the biggest win of Lincoln Riley's tenure.
Ohio State played without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely after injuring his throwing arm against Indiana on October 17. True freshman Luke Fahey finished 21-of-38 passing for 260 yards and a touchdown in his first start, but the Buckeyes settled for field goals on four drives and trailed 20-9 at halftime and 27-9 after three quarters.
USC's Jayden Maiava completed 15 of 22 passes for 222 yards with one interception, and the Trojans rushed 27 times for 116 yards and two scores - a balanced attack a week after USC was beaten 27-7 by Wisconsin. The win was Riley's first against a top-five ranked team since 2017, when he beat Ohio State while coaching Oklahoma.
USC improves to 7-2 and, per USA TODAY's account, moves back into potential College Football Playoff contention, with ranked Indiana and UCLA still ahead on its schedule. Ohio State leaves Los Angeles with its second loss of the season and two losses before November for the first time since 2011, per the Columbus Dispatch's account read this run.
