Lincoln Riley absolutely needed to beat Ohio State to save his job at USC. The Buckeyes came into Los Angeles with a freshman backup quarterback and weren’t a dominant team even with their starting QB Julian Sayin. USC, after being embarrassed at Wisconsin, needed more than just a close game; they had to actually get the job done. Nothing less than a win was going to cut it.
USC Finally Found Its Grit
To Riley’s credit, USC absolutely rose to the occasion with a 30-18 win over Ohio State. For real, this was the moment USC stopped playing soft under Lincoln Riley. This wasn’t some perfect, dominant performance, but it was gritty, resilient football. They responded incredibly well under pressure. The defense was lights-out in the red zone, just shutting everything down. They pounded out tough first downs on the ground, making it clear they were there to compete. Special teams stepped up, blocking was better, and they didn’t commit a ton of careless penalties. A few, sure, but nothing in the truly huge moments. This was the passionate, fierce, desperate kind of football we honestly haven’t seen often under Riley. Better late than never, right? That 3rd and 18 run for 21 yards with King Miller? That play set a tone. It sent a clear message about which side was tougher and more prepared.
Buckeyes Crumbled While Trojans capitalized
Ohio State, for one night, became the sloppy team. They committed double-digit penalties, dropped multiple passes, and had multiple false starts inside the 10-yard line. They were doing all the things USC did back at Wisconsin. It was a complete role reversal, with USC watching its opponent implode. What’s even wilder is that USC beat Ohio State by 12 points even with Jayden Maiava having a totally unremarkable game. Maiava made some bad decisions and was average at best. His receivers helped him out, his offensive line helped him out. This was a true team win, and that should give USC a massive confidence boost. Imagine what can happen if this kind of collective effort is combined with a better performance from their number 14. USC’s line play had to be strong to win this game, and it was. They didn’t dominate, but they just needed to avoid getting dominated themselves, and that’s exactly what happened. Ohio State wasn’t able to score easily, and their QB Luke Fahey’s lack of experience definitely showed in the red zone. The Trojans played exactly how they needed to in the trenches.
Stars Stepped Up When It Mattered Most
Trent Mosley absolutely played like a star, making the biggest plays in a game of supreme consequence. He bounced back big time from his dud at Wisconsin and led by example for the Trojans. We’ve been super critical of Desman Stephens and Kennedy Urlacher for their immature behavior during and after the Oregon game, and we stand by what we wrote. But in a spirit of generosity, you have to give them full credit for their performance here. This team finally showed they can respond. Now, with this grit and a team-first mentality on display, the stage is set. If they can combine this effort with Jayden Maiava really hitting his stride, this team could be dangerous.
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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