Happy Halloween, Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) will try to maintain their No. 2 ranking Saturday night and attempt to knock off a desperate USC Trojans (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) team still fighting for their CFP lives.

With kickoff drawing closer, how does a Buckeyes team no longer led by quarterback Julian Sayin fare on the road? Scroll to find this week’s staff predictions, as I am all alone in first place at 7-0 so far this season.

Ohio State @ USC Week 9 Game Details

Date: Saturday, Oct. 31

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT

TV Channel: NBC (consult TV Guide or preferred streaming provider for details).

Odds: Ohio State -6.5; over/under is 51.5 (via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – Los Angeles, Calif.

Ohio State’s record under Ryan Day: 88-13 (8-6 in postseason bowl games/CFP).

Last time vs. USC: 2017 Cotton Bowl: Ohio State won 24-7, when the Trojans were still members of the Pac-12. USC leads the all-time series 13-10-1 since 1937.

Ohio State so far this season: 6-1 (4-0 Big Ten)

STANDINGS:

• Zain Bando: 7-0

• Dylan Buganski: 6-1

• Rafael Zamorano: 4-1 (no pick in Week 6 or Week 7)

• Chip Minnich: 5-0 (began contributing ahead of Week 3)          

Zain Bando: Ohio State 21, USC 17

After a week off, Ohio State continues its quest for a Big Ten and national title. It’ll just be without Julian Sayin as its starting quarterback. Since Sayin went down, Ohio State on SI (and I included) have done our best to bring Buckeye Nation as many perspectives as possible as the season resumes Saturday night in Los Angeles against the USC Trojans.

Given the parity in this year's wacky college football season, the Buckeyes have yet to have a true reality-check moment. This week isn’t it either. The Badgers, who play the Iowa Hawkeyes earlier in the day’s action, suffocated the Trojans in all areas last week in Madison in one of the sport’s most shocking upsets.

Although Halloween night could call for a spooky outcome (pun purposely intended), it’s hard to pick against Ohio State in Big Ten play, regardless of who the quarterback ends up being, until it loses in league play. So far, I’m the lone undefeated picker this season, so riding the hot hand with coach Ryan Day’s team against a depleted Trojans bunch seems like a smart pick (although all-time series history says otherwise).

Rafael Zamorano: Ohio State 24, USC 14

Ohio State has reached the crux of its season, not necessarily because of where they stand in Big Ten competition at this point in its schedule, but because we don’t know for sure what the Buckeyes will look like without star quarterback Julian Sayin for the foreseeable future.

Not to take anything away from the 6-2 Trojans, but what was originally supposed to be a road game against a solid-but-not-elite conference opponent has now shifted its focus entirely on how the Buckeyes will look with a freshman starting at quarterback, be it true freshman Luke Fahey or redshirt freshman Tavien St. Clair.

Having said that, Ohio State still wields a deeper and more talented roster overall, headlined by the best player in the game, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes’ staff has more than enough resources to work with to keep whichever quarterback ends up starting well protected scheme-wise.

Look for a lot of quick passes and screens on offense, while the defense figures out a way to pressure Jayden Maiava into committing mistakes, just like Wisconsin did last week.

With the Buckeyes being favored by a touchdown on the spread (-7), I’m picking them to cover thanks to another solid performance on defense.

Chip Minnich: Ohio State 24, USC 21

The Wisconsin Badgers’ 24-7 win over USC last Saturday has Ohio State fans understandably wondering whether the Buckeyes will follow a comparable game plan. I am guessing that Luke Fahey will be the starting quarterback, and that the coaching staff has emphasized to Fahey to play efficiently in a style reminiscent of when Julian Sayin made his first start at home vs. Texas in 2025.

The USC defensive line has the pass rushing ability to get after an opposing quarterback, and I believe Fahey will use his legs to get out of the pocket and make positive yards to keep drives alive. Ohio State's defense is going to be tested all game against a formidable USC offense, despite the issues that the Trojans had last week in Madison.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but this game has some serious Tresselball vibes for me going into Saturday night against an USC team that has its back to the wall. Yards and points may be difficult for the Buckeyes to earn, but I believe the Buckeyes will exhale when Connor Hawkins makes a late field goal in the final minutes of the contest.

Dylan Buganski: Ohio State 24, USC 14

For the first time during Ryan Day’s tenure as Ohio State head coach, a backup quarterback will start for the Buckeyes in a Big Ten matchup.

It is still unknown if that starter will be true freshman Luke Fahey, or former 5-star sophomore Tavien St. Clair. Although, what is known coming into this matchup is that the USC defense has been one of the worst defenses against the pass in the Big Ten this season.

Learning curves should be there for whatever quarterback is penciled to start in Los Angeles against the Trojans, but Heisman favorite Jeremiah Smith and the other pass-catchers in this room should still perform well and keep the Buckeye offense afloat. The run game will also be watched closely, as more will be expected from this group and it'll get a good test against a strong USC front.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava should make some plays to keep this game competitive, but expect the Ohio State front to stifle an inconsistent rushing attack from the Trojans and force some turnovers to swing the momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor, giving them their 6th straight win and first at USC since 1946.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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