Oregon’s staring down a fourth loss, but the real fireworks this Week 9 are out west where Ohio State rolls into USC. This isn’t just another game, folks. USC’s Week 8 face-plant against Wisconsin already had head coach Lincoln Riley’s future in Los Angeles looking shaky. Now? They’re hosting the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes, and that pressure cooker just hit maximum temp.
Ohio State’s Defense Is A Stone Wall, But Who’s Slinging The Rock?
Joel Klatt from FOX Sports is laying it all out: Ohio State is favored by 6.5 points on the road, with the moneyline at -245 for them and +200 for USC. The biggest question for Ohio State isn’t even about their opponent, it’s about their own quarterback situation. Julian Sayins’ replacement? Who’s it gonna be? More importantly, will that player be effective? Nobody knows, and it’s a huge deal because the Buckeyes have Jeremiah Smith, who Klatt calls the best wide receiver “we’ve seen in a long time.” So, who’s actually throwing to Smith?
Here’s the kicker: even with that QB uncertainty, Klatt says it’s not the *most* important element for Ohio State. Why? Because their defense is “outstanding, outstanding.” Their defensive line? Also “outstanding.” They’re just getting better every single week. Klatt watches almost every play, every snap these guys take, and he saw a defensive line against Texas that was “okay,” but the one against Indiana was “vastly different.” That’s the kind of improvement that makes you sit up and take notice.
USC’s O-Line Is The Achilles’ Heel Lincoln Riley Can’t Hide
The biggest matchup advantage in this entire game is Ohio State’s defensive line absolutely eating USC’s offensive line for lunch. USC’s O-line is not playing well at all. We saw it last week against Wisconsin: they couldn’t protect Jayden Maiava, and they couldn’t run the football. We’re talking negative 17 yards rushing! That’s not just bad, that’s a red flag waving in your face like a hurricane warning. For Ohio State’s offense, Klatt thinks the game plan needs to be flexible, especially with their own QB questions. They have to understand that their incredible defense is going to dictate how they play offense. You can’t come in with some crazy aggressive plan and then give your defense a short field to work with.
Klatt’s not holding back on USC. He says the “breadcrumbs” suggest they’re not even close to what he thought they could be, or even what he thought they were last week. Their run game is a dismal 103rd in the country in yards per carry! Klatt brings up Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma teams: the difference for USC, he says, isn’t the passing game or the defense, it’s that run game. You want more breadcrumbs? “Sloppy wins” against Rutgers, Washington, and Penn State. Now, here comes Ohio State.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s coming off a Week 7 loss to Auburn and a bye, setting up their annual rivalry game with Florida. Florida’s pulled off some upsets already, beating No. 12 Ole Miss and No. 11 Texas. Do the Gators have another one in them against the Bulldogs? This Week 9 is gonna be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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