Where does Ohio State go from here? Playoff hopes dim, QB questions mount after USC upset — SkimNews
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- USC upset No. 2 Ohio State 30-18—ESPN’s biggest win of Lincoln Riley’s tenure and one of the worst losses of the Ryan Day era—dropping the Buckeyes to 6-2 and marking their first season with two defeats before November since 2011.
- Ohio State is still in the College Football Playoff mix but now firmly on the bubble, with wins over No. 14 Iowa and No. 5 Indiana bolstering its résumé; CBS Sports projects a No. 7 seed at 11-2 with a Big Ten title-game loss to undefeated UCLA.
- Luke Fahey, a true freshman, started over top-five recruit Tavien St. Clair after starter Julian Sayin went down with a likely season-ending injury, and he did not clear 150 passing yards until late in the fourth quarter.
- Ohio State allowed USC 30 points and multiple passing-game breakdowns one week after holding the Trojans to seven, with Trent Mosley scoring on a 69-yard play and Mark Bowman making a 70-yard catch-and-run into scoring territory.
- Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes for 83 yards and a late touchdown against USC, but his yards per catch fell from roughly 19.0 before the game to 8.3 with Fahey at quarterback.
- Ohio State fell to No. 5 in the 247Sports Talent Composite, its lowest ranking since the metric began, while only Smith ranked in the NFL Draft Prospect Rankings’ top 50.
Why it matters: Ohio State remains in the College Football Playoff mix despite falling to 6-2 because wins over No. 14 Iowa and No. 5 Indiana preserve its résumé. Another regular-season loss would keep the Buckeyes out, leaving Oregon and No. 20 Northwestern as the remaining tests for a national-title path already fading fast.
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