ESPN College GameDay crew predicts winner of Ohio State vs. USC

After an off week following a huge road win over Indiana, the Ohio State football team is back in action against the USC Trojans in L.A. The Buckeyes are a mild favorite according to the wise guys in Vegas, but it'll all depend on how well freshman quarterback Luke Fahey takes over under center for the injured Julian Sayin.

ESPN's College GameDay isn't in SoCal; it's in Bloomington for the Indiana vs. Minnesota game, but that didn't stop the crew of Desmond Howard, Nick Saban, Pat McAfee, Kirk Herbstreit, and guest picker Isaiah Thomas from predicting the winner of the pivotal Big Ten matchup.

Here's what each of the ESPN College GameDay crew predicted to win between Ohio State and USC Saturday night.

Ohio State vs. USC prediction according to Desmond Howard

Michigan homer Desmond Howard stayed on brand and picked against Ohio State, pointing to the missing guys on the Buckeyes to pick USC.

Ohio State vs. USC prediction according to Nick Saban

Saban continued to stay unbiased and thought Ohio State still has enough talent surrounding the new quarterback and injured players. He picked the Buckeyes.

Ohio State vs. USC prediction according to Pat McAfee

McAfee didn't do his usual buildup because it wasn't the game of the week for ESPN, but he went with talent too and picked Ohio State.

Ohio State vs. USC prediction according to Isaiah Thomas

Indiana basketball legend Isiah Thomas will serve as College GameDay's guest picker as the ESPN show airs from Bloomington on Saturday, with AP No. 4 Indiana hosting 5-2 Minnesota. #Hoosiers#CollegeGameDaypic.twitter.com/n5je7Z1QIg

— The Big Lead (@TheBigLead) October 30, 2026

In a continuing theme, Thomas, an Indiana alum, said talent wins out and believes that's on the side of Ohio State, so he too picked the Buckeyes to win on the road.

Ohio State vs. USC prediction according to Kirk Herbstreit

Herbstreit thought the difference in this game would be having Jeremiah Smith to throw to for Luke Fahey and the surrounding talent around him. He picked his alma mater, Ohio State.

Ohio State vs. USC summary of predictions from College GameDay crew

TEXAS IS READY TO PARTY 🤘@glenpowell is taking Texas over Ohio State 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BGzb5HDOTO

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 12, 2026

Desmond Howard | USC over Ohio State

Nick Saban | Ohio State over USC

Pat McAfee | Ohio State over USC

Isaiah Thomas (guest picker) | Ohio State over USC

Kirk Herbstreit | Ohio State over USC

All but Howard picked the Buckeyes over the Trojans, but that's not really a surprise. Ohio State and USC are set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. We'll be there before, throughout, and after.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: ESPN College GameDay crew predicts winner of Ohio State vs. USC