Ohio State vs. USC prediction, odds, time: Week 9 college football picks from proven model — SkimNews
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- Ohio State enters Saturday's 7:30 p.m. ET game at the Los Angeles Coliseum second-ranked at 6-1 (4-0 Big Ten) on a five-game win streak that includes a 19-15 win at Indiana on Oct. 17, while USC sits 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten) in seventh place after a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin.
- SportsLine simulated the matchup 10,000 times and is going Over 50.5, projecting 51 combined points with the Over the value side 51% of the time; the total has dropped five points from an opening 55.5.
- USC is 2-6 against the spread compared with Ohio State's 5-2, is 4-1 at home in 2026, and leads the all-time series 13-10-1 despite losing 24-7 to the Buckeyes in the 2017 Cotton Bowl.
- Luke Fahey, a true freshman expected to start at quarterback in place of the injured Julian Sayin, is projected for 270 yards and two touchdowns, while USC's Jayden Maiava is projected for over 235 yards and one score.
- Ohio State tops the Big Ten in scoring at 39.3 points per game against USC's 32.8, and the Over has hit in three of the last five Buckeyes games and five of the last nine USC matchups.
- SportsLine says one side of the 6.5-point spread hits in well over 50% of simulations but reveals it only on its own site, while the model enters Week 9 on a 68-59 run on top-rated college football picks worth nearly $400 per $100 staked.
Why it matters: Bettors chasing SportsLine's 68-59 run — nearly $400 returned per $100 staked — are backing an Over 50.5 the model values at only 51%, an edge that has to do the heavy lifting. USC's 2-6 mark against the spread versus Ohio State's 5-2 is the clearest split in the numbers, and the total has already fallen five points from 55.5.
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