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Ohio State vs. USC Prediction and Pick, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Ohio State at USC

Week 9, Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The numbers say: Ohio State, 76% to win.

The game

KickoffSat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET
TVNBC
WhereLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Weather68°, cloudy, wind 3 mph
LineOhio State −6.5, total 51.5
Line movementOpened Ohio State −7.5; moved 1 point toward USC. Total opened 54.5, down 3.
SeriesUSC leads 13–10–1
Last meetingOhio State 24–7 in 2017
Ohio State injuriesSayin (QB), out

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Ohio State by 11.980%57
PRIMEOhio State by 8.272%
EloOhio State82%
The lineOhio State −6.5, opened −7.551.5, opened 54.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Fri, Oct 30, 7:43 PM ET.

Who wins, Ohio State or USC?

The numbers say: Ohio State. 78% chance to win

Which matchups decide Ohio State vs. USC?

All three ratings favor Ohio State, by 8.2 to 11.9 points. Ohio State's best matchup is its run defense, 9th in yards per carry allowed, against USC's run game at 105th. USC's way back in is its pass protection, 30th in sacks allowed per dropback, against Ohio State's pass rush at 122nd. We left out the edges built on Sayin, who's out.

Ohio State with the ball

USC with the ball

Who's out for Ohio State and USC?

Ohio State

USC

How Ohio State and USC compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Ohio State and USC are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Ohio State's and USC's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Ohio State and USC?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Ohio State 14.4 points better (1st to 18th). PRIME also has Ohio State ahead, by 10.7. Elo, which only sees results, also has Ohio State ahead (3rd to 23rd).

Ohio StateUSC
SP+ overall28.6 (1st)14.2 (18th)
SP+ offense39.2 (4th)36.6 (9th)
SP+ defense10.7 (1st)22.4 (39th)
SP+ special teams0.1 (54th)-0.1 (80th)
PRIME net24.2 (3rd)13.5 (19th)
PRIME offense13.72 (3rd)12.07 (6th)
PRIME defense9.71 (9th)0.77 (60th)
PRIME SOS1.6 (33rd)-1.8 (65th)
PRIME SOR2.8 (9th)1.6 (27th)
Elo2069 (3rd)1752 (23rd)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Ohio State's offense ranks 16th in adjusted EPA per play, and the USC defense it faces ranks 95th in EPA per play allowed. USC's offense ranks 6th against Ohio State's 7th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Ohio State's offense against USC's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Ohio State's passing game: 4th in adjusted EPA per pass, against USC's 112th-ranked defense. That's a mismatch.

Ohio StateUSC
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.21 (16th)+0.23 (6th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.35 (4th)+0.36 (2nd)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.09 (48th)+0.06 (76th)
Success rate (adjusted)49.1% (5th)50.6% (2nd)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)53.0% (3rd)52.3% (6th)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)31.7% (41st)37.4% (2nd)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.93 (84th)0.89 (133rd)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)3.03 (43rd)3.00 (49th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)0.99 (113th)0.88 (132nd)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)−0.02 (7th)+0.14 (95th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.07 (7th)+0.27 (112th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)−0.03 (8th)+0.06 (63rd)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)36.2% (12th)42.7% (85th)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.92 (30th)0.93 (51st)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)2.76 (20th)2.87 (40th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.92 (14th)1.11 (65th)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Ohio State or USC?

Ohio State is better throwing (5th in EPA per pass) than running (83rd). USC's pass defense ranks 118th, so that's a mismatch. USC is better throwing (15th in EPA per pass) than running (87th). Ohio State's pass defense ranks 15th, so that's strength on strength.

Ohio StateUSC
EPA per play+0.27 (19th)+0.25 (23rd)
EPA per pass+0.49 (5th)+0.43 (15th)
EPA per rush+0.07 (83rd)+0.06 (87th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.52 (50th)+0.55 (43rd)
EPA per play allowed−0.05 (14th)+0.12 (87th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.01 (15th)+0.36 (118th)
EPA per rush allowed−0.11 (12th)0.00 (46th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.38 (62nd)+0.17 (13th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Ohio State or USC?

Ohio State outscores FBS opponents by 25.9 a game, and USC by 7.8. Ohio State's offense ranks 10th in scoring, and the USC defense it faces ranks 77th in points allowed. USC's offense ranks 44th against Ohio State's 4th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Ohio State's offense against USC's defense.

Ohio StateUSC
Points scored39.3 (10th)32.8 (44th)
Points allowed13.4 (4th)25.0 (77th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Ohio State's best matchup is big plays: its offense ranks 14th in explosive play rate, and USC's defense ranks 73rd in explosive plays allowed. USC's best matchup is third downs: its offense ranks 12th in 3rd down conversion rate, and Ohio State's defense ranks 47th in 3rd down conversions allowed.

Ohio StateUSC
Pass yards / game315.7 (8th)306.5 (10th)
Rush yards / game168.0 (67th)144.1 (99th)
Yards per play7.54 (9th)6.75 (27th)
Yards per carry4.80 (96th)4.65 (105th)
Yards per attempt11.63 (2nd)8.92 (23rd)
Completion %73.7% (14th)71.3% (23rd)
Success rate51.9% (8th)53.0% (4th)
Explosive play rate15.4% (14th)13.5% (38th)
3rd down conversion49.4% (16th)50.5% (12th)
Sack rate (taken)6.9% (96th)3.9% (30th)
INT rate (thrown)3.7% (116th)2.2% (61st)
SUPLEX64.2% (18th)65.5% (16th)

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Ohio State's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 9th in yards per carry allowed, and USC's offense is bottom-40 in yards per carry (105th). That's a mismatch. USC's defense is best placed to stop the run: it ranks 35th in yards per carry allowed, and Ohio State's offense is bottom-40 in yards per carry (96th). That's a mismatch.

Ohio StateUSC
Pass yards allowed / game177.1 (20th)216.6 (78th)
Rush yards allowed / game105.0 (9th)122.4 (28th)
Yards per play allowed4.39 (3rd)5.75 (71st)
Yards per carry allowed3.79 (9th)4.26 (35th)
Yards per attempt allowed5.04 (1st)7.57 (80th)
Success rate allowed34.0% (9th)40.9% (60th)
Explosive plays allowed9.6% (28th)11.0% (73rd)
3rd downs allowed35.6% (47th)34.4% (39th)
Sack rate (generated)3.9% (122nd)5.4% (88th)
INT rate (generated)1.6% (103rd)1.3% (114th)
SUPLEX allowed43.4% (9th)50.3% (43rd)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

Ohio State has the better number in 8 of 12. The biggest gap is power success allowed, where Ohio State ranks 32nd and USC 122nd.

Ohio StateUSC
Big Uglies: offensive line53.4 (42nd)52.4 (52nd)
Big Uglies: defensive front51.9 (56th)47.9 (86th)
Line yards per carry3.04 (78th)3.07 (67th)
Line yards allowed per carry2.60 (22nd)2.73 (41st)
Second-level yards per carry0.98 (105th)1.07 (74th)
Open-field yards per carry0.58 (128th)0.64 (124th)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)16.0% (39th)19.6% (95th)
Stuff rate (defense)20.0% (53rd)18.7% (71st)
Power success (short yardage)78.4% (30th)67.5% (99th)
Power success allowed65.0% (32nd)81.3% (122nd)
Front-seven havoc allowed8.3% (44th)6.3% (15th)
Front-seven havoc9.1% (80th)8.8% (87th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Ohio State is +0.3 in turnover margin a game and USC is −0.3. At about five points a turnover, that's roughly a 3-point edge for Ohio State. Turnover margin rarely holds from one month to the next, so don't count on it. Fumble recoveries are mostly luck, and Ohio State's takeaways lean on them (0.9 of 1.4 a game).

Ohio StateUSC
Interceptions thrown / game1.00 (105th)0.86 (84th)
Fumbles lost / game0.14 (3rd)0.00 (1st)
Giveaways / game1.14 (52nd)0.86 (25th)
Interceptions / game0.57 (85th)0.29 (119th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.86 (12th)0.29 (94th)
Takeaways / game1.43 (41st)0.57 (126th)
Turnover margin / game+0.3 (50th)-0.3 (89th)

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Ohio State has the more talented roster (5th in the 247Sports talent composite; USC is 9th). Ohio State also plays further above its talent: +9.7 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to USC's −0.6.

Ohio StateUSC
Talent composite964.3 (5th)899.0 (9th)
Blue-chip ratio70.0% (3rd)53.8% (11th)
Players on roster120 (17th)126 (5th)
Rated by 247Sports90 (23rd)91 (19th)
5-star players11 (3rd)4 (11th)
4-star players52 (4th)45 (8th)
3-star players26 (133rd)41 (119th)
Below 3-star1 (86th)1 (86th)
2026 transfers in17 (103rd)11 (127th)
Transfer share18.9% (114th)12.1% (129th)
SP+ vs. talent+9.7 (18th)-0.6 (68th)
Returning production68.3% (27th)59.2% (42nd)
Returning passing production94.0% (35th)90.9% (44th)
Returning rushing production54.9% (61st)78.0% (42nd)
Returning receiving production50.3% (46th)26.9% (88th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)4 (4th)1 (1st)
Recruiting rank, last four classes4.5 (4th)10.0 (9th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Which roster costs more?

Ohio State's roster is valued at $37.9M, USC's at $34.7M. Ohio State also plays better per dollar: +9.5 points of SP+ above what its payroll predicts, to −3.0 for USC.

Ohio StateUSC
Roster value$37.9M (5th)$34.7M (7th)
Roster cost per win$6.3M (47th)$5.8M (42nd)
Projected wins per $1M0.27 (36th)0.22 (52nd)
SP+ vs. payroll+9.5 (5th)-3.0 (47th)

NIL roster value from The NIL Standard (power-conference teams plus Boise State and Oregon State). Ranks are out of 70 teams with a valuation.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Ohio State is +2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (+1.4). USC is +2.0 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is roster (+2.0).

Ohio StateUSC
RECEIPTS (total)+2.5 (8th)+2.0 (20th)
Schedule RECEIPTS-0.3 (106th)-0.6 (116th)
Roster RECEIPTS+1.4 (12th)+2.0 (4th)
Coach RECEIPTS+1.4 (13th)+0.5 (49th)
Luck RECEIPTS0.0 (67th)+0.1 (61st)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Ohio State at USC: questions people ask

Ohio State vs. USC prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Ohio State, 78% chance to win. All three ratings favor the same team. Ohio State's best matchup is its run defense, 9th in yards per carry allowed, against USC's run game at 105th.

Where can I watch Ohio State vs. USC, and what time is it?

Sat, Oct 31, 7:30 PM ET at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It's on NBC.

What's the projected score of Ohio State vs. USC?

SP+ projects Ohio State 35–23. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Ohio State at USC?

DraftKings has Ohio State −6.5, total 51.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Ohio State vs. USC series history?

USC leads 13–10–1. Last meeting: Ohio State won 24–7 in 2017.

Who are the players to watch in Ohio State vs. USC?

Ohio State: Sayin (2,007 passing yards), Bo Jackson (516 rushing yards) and Jeremiah Smith (984 receiving yards). USC: Jayden Maiava (2,326 passing yards), King Miller (604 rushing yards) and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (443 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Ohio State at USC?

Ohio State's is Sayin (2,007 passing yards this season); USC's is Jayden Maiava (2,326 passing yards this season).

Who's out for Ohio State at USC?

Ohio State: Sayin (QB), out.

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Ohio State and USC: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.