How USC, Lincoln Riley turned Big Ten, CFP race with complete victory against No. 2 Ohio State

How USC, Lincoln Riley turned Big Ten, CFP race with complete victory against No. 2 Ohio State originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

USC freshman tight end Mark Bowman hurdled Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain.

He broke through tackle attempts by defensive backs Earl Little Jr. and Dominick Kelly. Bowman broke into the open field before running out of bounds at the 3-yard line – but not before throwing a shoulder into linebacker Riley Pettijohn.

Those defender's names might fade in time – but USC's 30-18 victory against No. 2 Ohio State will be remembered for Bowman's rumble in the rain at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It's the next chapter in the anthology of Rose Bowl-turned-Big Ten rivals.

MARK BOWMAN 7️⃣0️⃣ YARDS AND THE HURDLE 😱 @uscfb Watch on NBC https://t.co/YXdQ8UOBK8

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 1, 2026

It's also a turning point for the Trojans and Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff race. USC (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) is back in the mix, and coach Lincoln Riley earned his first victory against a top-10 team with the Trojans. Ohio State (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) made too many mistakes on the road with freshman quarterback Luke Fahey, who made his first start in place of Julian Sayin. Could the Buckeyes and coach Ryan Day miss the 12-team CFP for the first time?

It adds to the Big Ten intrigue heading into November.

USC's fast start against Ohio State

The Trojans took two plays to bounce back from an embarrassing 24-7 loss at Wisconsin on Oct. 24 that flared up the Riley hot-seat talk at USC. Freshman receiver Trent Mosley turned a screen pass into a 69-yard TD reception. Waymond Jordan added a 9-yard TD run with 2:25 remaining in the first quarter for a 14-3 lead.

THERE GOES TRENT MOSLEY 👋 📺 NBC https://t.co/OktFRsKh2Y

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 31, 2026

Mosley had five catches for 105 yards and a TD in the first half. The Trojans led 20-9 at halftime. That was the recipe to press the Buckeyes, who were adjusting to a game plan with a new quarterback.

Ohio State struggles with Luke Fahey at QB

Fahey – a true freshman from Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School – completed five of his first six passes for the Buckeyes. That included four passes to star receiver Jeremiah Smith, whose most-explosive play was a 27-yard reception.

Ohio State however, had to settle for field goals from Connor Hawkins all night.

Fahey had a short TD run overturned by review with 2:27 remaining in the first half, and the Trojans' defense held with a goal-line stand. The Buckeyes ran the ball effectively with Bo Jackson (21 carries, 121 yards) and Isaiah West (13 carries, 65 yards), but 204 rushing yards was not enough.

Fahey could not get the ball down the field to Smith – whose runaway Heisman Trophy campaign hit a stumbling block.

The key turnover hit at the 7:47 mark in the third quarter. Fahey checked down to West, who was hit by Desman Stephens II. The ball popped into the air and landed in the arms of Floyd Boucard. Bowman's highlight-reel hurdle followed, and that set up a 1-yard TD run by King Miller for a 27-9 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes rallied with a late TD drive – where Fahey hit Smith for a 1-yard TD run with 2:12 remaining, but the Trojans added a 32-yard field goal by Caden Chittenden after recovering an onside kick.

Ohio State is living the backup quarterback life, which is an epidemic in the Big Ten this season. Fahey finished 21 of 38 for 268 yards, but he did not turn it loose until the Buckeyes were in catch-up mode. Smith had 10 catches for 83 yards – an average of 8.3 yards per catch. This is not the same high-powered offense without Sayin.

MORE: Bill Belichick blows another fourth-quarter lead vs. Miami

Where do USC, Ohio State stand in the Big Ten race?

The Trojans suddenly have a straight-forward path to a 10-win season. USC has a bye week to prepare for another cross-country road trip to No. 4 Indiana. The Hoosiers survived in a 23-16 overtime victory against Minnesota and also have a bye week to sort out an uncertain quarterback situation with Josh Hoover.

USC plays Maryland at home before the regular-season finale at No. 7 UCLA on Nov. 28. A clean sweep would put the Trojans in the playoff.

Maiava, who finished 15 of 22 for 222 yards and a TD, had enough run support behind Miller (13 carries, 78 yards) and Jordan (12 carries, 48 yards) to open up the big-play passing game with Mosley and Bowman (3 catches, 79 yards), who combined to average 22.5 yards per catch.

Who knew there would be more questions in Columbus heading into November? Ohio State faces Oregon in Week 10, and the Ducks recalibrated with a 34-26 victory against Northwestern on Saturday. The Buckeyes still have Northwestern (Nov. 14), Nebraska (Nov. 21) and Michigan (Nov. 28) on the schedule, and the trip to Lincoln, Neb., is on the road. Ohio State still has just one loss in conference play, which trails only UCLA (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten).

But another loss would put the Buckeyes in the dreaded three-loss pile, and a 24-23 loss to No. 11 Texas on Sept. 12 could be the difference. The Longhorns know how that argument ends after losing 14-7 to Ohio State last year.

The Buckeyes will need to be better collectively around Fahey to avoid that uncomfortable conversation.

MORE: In a season where it is hard to trust anyone, Georgia is the exception