No. 2 Ohio State lost to unranked USC 30-18, dropping the Buckeyes to 6-2. It marks their first two losses before November since 2011 and only the second unranked loss of Ryan Day's tenure.
The loss came after starting quarterback Julian Sayin suffered a likely season-ending injury in the previous game against No. 5 Indiana. True freshman Luke Fahey took over and struggled downfield, failing to reach 150 passing yards until late in the fourth quarter. Fahey also reduced receiver Smith's production significantly. Smith caught 10 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown but averaged only 8.3 yards per reception with Fahey under center, down from his season average of 19.0 yards per catch.
Ohio State's defense, usually a strength, fell apart. USC wide receiver Trent Mosley caught a 69-yard touchdown on the game's second play. Tight end Mark Bowman added a 70-yard catch-and-run. The Buckeyes' pass rush failed to generate pressure despite repeatedly sending top talent to the NFL.
The loss leaves Ohio State firmly on the playoff bubble. CBS Sports projects them as the 7-seed with an 11-2 record and a Big Ten title game loss to unranked UCLA. One more regular-season loss would likely knock them out of the field.
Day may need to evaluate his quarterback situation. True freshman Fahey won the job over top-five recruit Tavien St. Clair after impressing in practice, but his limitations have shown. St. Clair transferred from a smaller school in Bellefontaine, Ohio, and faces questions about his familiarity with the offense.
Ohio State still has quality wins over No. 14 Iowa and No. 5 Indiana, plus winnable games remaining against Oregon and No. 20 Northwestern. But the roster lacks the championship-level talent of past teams. The Buckeyes rank No. 5 in the 247Sports Talent