With their College Football Playoff hopes on the line, coach Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans welcome the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a primetime showdown on Saturday night.

Coming off a disappointing 24-7 road loss to a stifling No. 25 Wisconsin Badgers defense at Camp Randall Stadium, Saturday night’s Halloween clash against a Buckeyes team without their star quarterback, Julian Sayin, who is out with a right shoulder injury, is the first of three matchups against ranked opponents for the Buckeyes to end the season.

The other two matchups for the Trojans will come on the road against the No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers (Nov. 14) and the No. 7 UCLA Bruins to end the regular season on Nov. 28 in the Crosstown Rivalry. 

The Trojans (6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) hope to get key players back for their pivotal matchup against the Buckeyes. True freshman tight end Mark Bowman is one of those players the Trojans will look to get back. The former five-star tight end from Mater Dei High School was off to a strong start to his USC career before his injury, recording 21 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns. 

Bowman’s best performance came in the Trojans' 49-30 win over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at the Coliseum, recording six receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Bowman remains questionable for Saturday night's matchup. Here's a look at the Trojans' first availability report for their high-stakes matchup against the Buckeyes.

USC Trojans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Injury Report 

Out

• WR Terrell Anderson
• WR Corey Simms
• S Kendarius Reddick
• LB Taylor “Taybo” Johnson
• LB Roman Marchetti
• OL Kilian O’Connor
• OL Hayden Treter

Questionable 

• DT Jahkeem Stewart
• TE Mark Bowman
• RB Shahn Alston
• DT Jamaal Jarrett

USC Trojans Prepare to Face New Ohio State Quarterback

When the Trojans face the Buckeyes on Saturday night at the Coliseum, they’ll face a new Ohio State quarterback. Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will be the new signal caller for the Buckeyes on Saturday night. The two quarterbacks are former top recruits for the Buckeyes, and coach Ryan Day hinted at playing both against the Trojans. 

“It’s definitely possible,” Day said at his weekly press conference. “What the situations would be and what the circumstances would be, we would have to see; there’s definitely a chance.”

If it’s Fahey the Trojans end up facing, he’ll make his first career start, as he’s a former three-star recruit from nearby Mission Viejo, California, outside the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. St. Clair is a former five-star recruit from Bellefontaine, Ohio. In the 2025 recruiting class, St. Clair ranked as the No. 4 overall recruit nationally, per 247Sports.

USC Trojans vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Kickoff Time, Betting Odds 

The Trojans enter Saturday night’s season-defining matchup against the Buckeyes as seven-point underdogs, according to the latest DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds. Despite being underdogs, the Buckeyes (6-1 overall, 4-0 Big Ten) aren’t taking the Trojans lightly, as Day credited the Trojans talent, even after their recent loss to the Badgers. 

“We’re going on the road against a really good opponent. I know they had a tough game last week, but this is as talented a team as I’ve seen on film, and we’re going to get their best shot. It’s going to take everything we have, and it’s going to start with our quarterback,” Day said. 

The Trojans and Buckeyes will kick off at the Coliseum at 4:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, with the game broadcast on NBC.  

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