USC just straight-up STUNNED No. 2 Ohio State 30-18, and if you were ready to call it quits on Lincoln Riley’s career at Southern California, you gotta hit pause on that ambulance call right now. This wasn’t just any win, this was the signature victory Riley has been chasing for five years, an emphatic announcement that these Trojans, and their coach, aren’t dead yet.
From “Miserable Vibes” to a Knockout Punch
The mood around Los Angeles heading into this game? Absolutely miserable. Riley had spent the entire week defending his job status after an ugly loss to Wisconsin, recycling the same old answers that have defined USC’s annual disappointments. All of Troy was sick of it. They wanted results, especially against ranked teams, and on Halloween night, they got treats, not tricks. USC punched Ohio State in the mouth on the second play of the game, with freshman Trent Mosley taking a quick bubble pass 69 yards untouched for a touchdown. That set the tone. The Trojans just didn’t let up all night, shredding an Ohio State defense that came in allowing a stingy 13.4 points per game, fourth-best in the country. For once, that USC offense looked exactly like a Lincoln Riley-coached unit should, even a running game that somehow finished with minus-17 yards against Wisconsin suddenly found holes against Ohio State.
Ohio State’s Heisman Hopeful Disappears
While USC’s offense clicked, Ohio State’s usually explosive attack sputtered and stalled. Their defense surrendered its most points since a 2024 loss to Oregon, which is just wild considering how good they’ve been. You’d think that’s when Jeremiah Smith, the Heisman Trophy favorite, would step up, right? Wrong. He had four catches for 40 yards in the first quarter, then pretty much disappeared until the fourth when USC already had a comfortable cushion. The rest of Ohio State’s offense struggled to hold onto the ball and couldn’t generate anything consistently. Some of that falls on freshman Luke Fahey, who was making his first career start, and the jitters and mistakes were obvious. Ryan Day is gonna be facing a ton of questions about that QB position moving forward. But let’s be real, this was a USC defense that had been dragged around by virtually every Power conference opponent this season. Moving the ball against the Trojans wasn’t supposed to be this difficult, and Ohio State made it look nearly impossible.
Forget the excuses for the Buckeyes. Riley earned this win like a kid walking miles through the neighborhood on Halloween night to fill a pillowcase with candy. He delivered when his job was literally on the line, and that’s something to remember.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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