The Ohio State Buckeyes have a lot riding on Week 9 of the college football season because it is the first game since 2024 without Julian Sayin starting for them. 

Week 9’s Big Ten battle between Ohio State and USC in Southern California is a big-time battle, even if the 5-2 Trojans are unranked after falling to Wisconsin. There’s belief that Lincoln Riley could be coaching for his job against Ohio State, while the Buckeyes will be trying to show they’ll be just fine without Sayin. 

Ahead of the game on Saturday in primetime, the college football team at A to Z Sports has some predictions on how this one will go. 

Ohio State 24, USC 13

The Buckeyes’ offense has no reason to change without Sayin because Jeremiah Smith will still be out there running around, and the main goal is to get him the ball. I expect Ohio State will try to rely on the run a little more with Bo Jackson taking a heavy load of the totes, then Isaiah Weat and Legend Bey both getting some work. Still, Ohio State is going to dial up some touches for Smith and whoever the starting quarterback is, Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair; they’re going to be expected to get him the ball. 

USC’s defensive line is the strong suit of a very meh defense overall, and Ohio State’s offensive line should be just about fully healthy this game. That’ll be a battle to keep an eye on all night, especially late in the game if it’s close. Ohio State’s defense shouldn’t allow USC to put many scoring drives together, and I just have a hard time seeing them scoring enough to win this game. Ohio State will be moving to 7-1 on the season with Oregon ahead. — Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Ohio State 

Ohio State 31, USC 20

With Julian Sayin out of the picture, Ohio State has to lean heavily on its running game while it figures out the quarterback situation. The Buckeyes will look to control the line of scrimmage, keep the offense out of difficult passing situations and take advantage of a USC defense that has been extremely underwhelming this season. Ohio State may have some growing pains offensively, but its talent in the trenches and ability to establish the run should be enough to keep the offense moving and put points on the board.

USC has opportunities to make this a competitive game, but the Trojans ultimately do themselves no favors with costly mistakes. Quarterback Jayden Maiava throws multiple interceptions, giving Ohio State extra possessions and swinging the momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor. Those turnovers prove especially damaging in the second half, when USC has a chance to stay within striking distance but instead allows Ohio State to create separation. The Buckeyes take advantage, lean on their ground game to shorten the contest and do enough defensively to close things out. It might not be a statement win offensively, but Ohio State gets the job done and leaves with a 31-20 victory. — Ryan Roberts, A to Z Sports Notre Dame 

USC 17, OSU 14

On one hand, USC is coming off of an ugly 24-7 loss to Wisconsin. On the other hand, Ohio State will be with a backup QB. Ohio State is only about a touchdown favorite. And while I think that is fair, I’m not sold on the 51.5 over/under. This feels like an under all the way, with Ohio State playing bad offense but doing enough to get the job done, and their defense shutting down USC. OSU ranks fourth nationally in defense, and USC is exceptionally good on third down. They are good at staying in phase, and that could help them tremendously in this game. I have USC winning this one. Lincoln Riley hasn’t won the big games since being at USC. I’m going out on a limb and giving him this one. — Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Oklahoma 

Ohio State 31, USC 16

This is a game where the circumstances might favor an upset.  USC returning home to bounce back after a deflating loss to Wisconsin.  Ohio State turning to an inexperienced backup quarterback in either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair in place of Julian Sayin.  A cross country trip.  One might think perhaps we could get yet another top 10 upset. 

Nope.  Either Fahey or St.Clair won’t have to do too much, as Bo Jackson and the Buckeye ground attack take a lot of the weight off their shoulders. Last week against the Badgers, USC’s RBs ran for 40 yards on 20 attempts, while the Trojans allowed 143 on the ground.  It should be a relatively similar skew this week against an underrated Ohio State defense.  This never gets out of control, but Ohio State is in command the entire time. — Craig Smith, A to Z Sports Miami 

Ohio State 25, USC 18

This is probably the game of the weekend in a less-than-stellar slate for college football, and a lot of it is due to pressure. Lincoln Riley continues to struggle to build a team that plays with toughness and can travel, and Ohio State will be starting a quarterback not named Julian Sayin for the first time since Will Howard won the Buckeyes a championship. 

USC being at home is a huge advantage, as any time the Trojans travel east, it feels like they suffer a loss. The truth is, this game comes down to how well either Luke Fahey ot Tavien St. Clair plays for the Buckeyes. If they can distribute to Jeremiah Smith and if Ohio State leans into Chris Henry Jr. more, it shouldn’t be a problem for the Buckeyes. — Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Alabama 

Ohio State 34, USC 19

I am not the highest analyst on Julian Sayin. He’s pretty average in my book, both as a college quarterback and even more so as an NFL Draft prospect. Even so, his loss is going to be massive heading into the heart of the season. Whether it be Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair, they will still be plenty to beat a USC team that got stomped on by Wisconsin. I don’t trust the Trojans to do much of anything, and they will likely be overwhelmed in the trenches. — Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports Florida