USC football enters Week 9 playing against an Ohio State team that looks superior in many categories on paper. However, the USC Trojans have more than enough talent to compete in a game of this magnitude. They will just need their best players to rise to the occasion.

Here is my analysis of how the Trojans stack up against the Buckeyes at every position:

Quarterback

There is still uncertainty at the quarterback position for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Looking past the performance of Jayden Maiava last week against Wisconsin, there are few quarterbacks I would rather have. At his best, he can make any throw and lead an offense to the promised land. Jayden Maiava will show up and be the best quarterback in this matchup. I trust him more than either of the unproven Ohio State Buckeye quarterbacks.

Running back

King Miller is the most productive running back in this matchup, as he has 603 yards rushing. The running back room for the Ohio State Buckeyes is the better overall unit. Both Bo Jackson and Ja'Kobi Jackson fuel a dangerous Buckeyes run game. The Buckeyes offense can rely on both backs and the run game to be successful on a game-to-game basis. The Trojans, however, struggle mightily to make a huge impact on the ground. Last week's performance against the Wisconsin Badgers was their worst performance by far, as they ran for -17 yards. That would never happen with the Buckeyes' running back room.

Playmakers

The Buckeyes have the best player in college football, Jeremiah Smith, so the nod automatically goes to them for that. This season, he has won Ohio State games by himself. Smith has 984 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in just 7 games. Defenses gameplan for him and double-team him, but none of that ever stops his dominance. The Trojans, however, have the deeper unit as a whole. Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and Mark Bowman are 3 young weapons who have been giving defenses trouble all season long. Both Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley have 400 receiving yards in their freshman season. Moving forward, the Trojans' weapons have the brightest future. However, for this season, the choice is clear for which group you want.

The trenches

The Trojans are coming off their worst performance from their offensive line. Last week, the Wisconsin Badgers dominated in the trenches in every category. This is still an experienced offensive line with some young, developing talent mixed in. Elijah Paige is the most exciting player from this unit, yet even he had his struggles last week. I expect the offensive line to struggle again against the dominant Buckeyes defensive line.

For the defensive line for the Trojans, this is a unit that is underrated and maybe the best unit on the defense. The Trojans have better defensive tackles than the Buckeyes, with Jahkeem Stewart and Jide Abasiri. Both guys, when healthy, are game wreckers. Defensive end Luke Wafle is a freshman, but he has all the potential to be a highly drafted defensive player when it is his turn.

The Buckeyes are the better team in the trenches overall. The Buckeyes' defensive line has a ton of versatility and depth. There are guys who will prove to be matchup nightmares for the Trojans' offensive line. On the offensive line, this is a way more experienced unit than what the Trojans have. I think in this game the Trojans will get overpowered and lose their matchup in the trenches.

Linebackers

The Trojans' linebackers are good, but they're not great. There are a lot of times when teams are able to run on the Trojans' defense with ease, and a lot of that has to be put on the linebackers for not being consistent. Devin Bryant and Desman Stephens II have both had good games. Yet neither of them is as talented and versatile as Christian Allegro or Payton Pierce for the Buckeyes.

Secondary

The USC Trojans' secondary has been the reason for their defensive struggles this season. That is a unit that has disappointed and not been consistent enough for the Trojans to be an elite defense. The Buckeyes, on the other hand, have first-round talent in their secondary. Earl Little Jr. is on his way to being viewed as a prospect just like Caleb Downs was. He is the stud in their back end. Their secondary matches up with Jeremiah Smith every day in practice. They can handle any other talent receiver in the country. This will be a very tough matchup for the Trojans' secondary in facing the Buckeyes' weapons. On the other hand, Devin Sanchez and Jermaine Matthews will have what it takes to try to silence the Trojans' talented freshman.

Special teams

The special teams for the USC Trojans have been solid, but there are times when Lincoln Riley does not trust his kicker. Ohio State is more reliable when it comes to the most important aspects of special teams. Their field goal percentage is better; their kickoff and punt coverage is better. The one aspect the Trojans are able to hang with the Buckeyes is in the return game. Trent Mosley, prior to his injury, was a very dangerous element of the Trojan team. Not many other teams in the country had as much confidence as the Trojans in their return man to bring one back for a touchdown.

Coaching

Lincoln Riley is a brilliant offensive mind. He has his limitations as a head coach, and he has gotten in the way of many of his teams' success in his coaching career. Ryan Day is not perfect, but he is the more proven coach. In this game, there is a great chance he will out-coach Lincoln Riley. There is a reason year after year the Ohio State Buckeyes have remained in the thick of things even after the Urban Meyer era. There is also a reason that Lincoln Riley is still waiting on his turn for that kind of success. The clear best coach in this game is Ryan Day.