Though the school's Columbus, Ohio campus is thousands of miles away, Southern California has a long and enduring connection to the Ohio State football program.

That historical link has largely been forged through the Rose Bowl, where the Buckeyes, as one of the Big Ten's historic powerhouses, have been a frequent participant in "The Granddaddy of Them All." Going all the way back to 1921, Ohio State has played in the Rose Bowl 17 times, including three wins since Jan. 2019.

Its experiences about 15 miles to the south in Los Angeles haven't been quite as cherished.

In one of the biggest games of Week 9 of the 2026 college football season, the No. 2 Buckeyes will take on No. 25 USC on Saturday, Oct. 31 at the LA Memorial Coliseum in a matchup of two of the most stories programs in the sport. Without injured starting quarterback Julian Sayin, star wideout Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State will look to avoid a season loss this season and keep its unbeaten mark in Big Ten play alive against a Trojans team that would be effectively eliminated from College Football Playoff contention with another loss, to say nothing of what it would mean for coach Lincoln Riley's increasingly tenuous job security.

A Buckeyes win would do more than help coach Ryan Day's team improve to 7-1. It would make some history, too.

In advance of kickoff between Ohio State and USC, here's a look at the Buckeyes' history playing against the Trojans in Los Angeles:

Ohio State record at USC

If the Buckeyes come out of USC with a win on Saturday, it will be the first time they've done so in a while.

A long, long while.

Ohio State has failed to win each of its past five games at USC, one of which was a tie, meaning you have to go all the way back to 1946 for the last time the Buckeyes left the Coliseum victorious.

That drought's partially the result of factors well outside of Ohio State's control. Though they're now both Big Ten members, the programs competed in separate conferences for generations and would typically only meet in the Rose Bowl, where the Buckeyes, the champions of the Big Ten, would square off against the Trojans, the champions of the Pac-8 or Pac-10. From 1965-88, all six meetings between Ohio State and USC came in the Rose Bowl.

In fact, Saturday's contest will be just the third time the Buckeyes have played the Trojans at the Coliseum since 1964. In its most recent trip there, then-No. 5 Ohio State was drubbed by then-No. 1 USC, 35-3, on Sept. 13, 2008, a game in which Mark Sanchez threw for four touchdowns and the late Joe McKnight ran for 105 yards on just 12 carries.

During their four-game losing streak at USC, the Buckeyes have been outscored by a combined margin of 126-9.

Ohio State record vs USC

In 24 all-time meetings, Ohio State is 10-13-1 against USC, including a 2-5-1 mark at the Coliseum. Pasadena has been slightly kinder to the Buckeyes than Los Angeles, with the Trojans holding a 4-3 advantage over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Saturday's game will be the first between the Buckeyes and Trojans since the 2017 Cotton Bowl, which Ohio State won handily, 24-7.