Entering Saturday’s Big Ten showdown, Lincoln Riley was running out of excuses, running out of goodwill and, depending on whom you asked, running out of time as head coach of the USC Trojans.
But on Halloween night, Riley finally gave the Trojans fans something they hadn’t seen in five years: a signature victory over a top-five opponent.
One week after hitting rock bottom in a humiliating loss to Wisconsin, USC delivered the biggest upset of the college football season, stunning No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.
For Riley, it was arguably the biggest victory of his collegiate coaching career and unquestionably his finest moment since arriving in Los Angeles in November 2021.
For Ohio State, it was a Halloween nightmare.
The Buckeyes entered Saturday with a 6-1 record, CFP Championship aspirations and one of the most talented rosters in America. They left Los Angeles with their national championship hopes bruised and their offense exposed.
USC, meanwhile, resurrected a season that appeared dead and buried just seven days earlier.
Against one of the best teams in the country, USC looked nothing like the lifeless squad that rushed for an astonishing minus-17 yards in Madison a week earlier.
The Trojans needed just two plays to announce themselves on the national stage against the Buckeyes. Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley caught a screen pass from Jayden Maiava and exploded through the Buckeyes defense for a 69-yard touchdown less than a minute into the game.
The Coliseum erupted, USC rushed out to an early 7-0 lead and would never look back.
Ohio State, playing without injured starting quarterback Julian Sayin, struggled to find its rhythm behind freshman Luke Fahey. Even with Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Smith at receiver, the Buckeyes couldn’t consistently finish drives.
Connor Hawkins connected on four field goals, but USC’s defense refused to surrender the end zone.
Waymond Jordan, who missed last week’s disaster against Wisconsin, returned with a nine-yard touchdown run that extended USC’s lead to 14-3.
Even when USC threatened to sabotage itself, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize on their mistakes.
King Miller fumbled near midfield, handing Ohio State excellent field position. But with the Buckeyes threatening to score, USC’s defense stiffened near its own goal line, forcing Hawkins’ third field goal.
Instead of surrendering momentum, the Trojans preserved their lead.
Caden Chittenden, who missed both field-goal attempts against Wisconsin, added another three points before halftime, sending USC into the locker room leading 20-9.
For a program that had spent the previous week being questioned about everything from its toughness to its coaching, the transformation was remarkable.
The Buckeyes took the opening kickoff of the second half and immediately started driving down the field. With Ohio State threatening to claw its way back, Isaiah West caught a pass from Fahey before USC linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered a tackle that jarred the football loose. Defensive tackle Floyd Boucard recovered the fumble and the Trojans were in business.
Moments later, freshman tight end Mark Bowman produced the play of the night, hurdling a defender during a spectacular 70-yard catch-and-run that set up Miller’s one-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, USC led 27-9.
Ohio State finally scored a touchdown with 2:12 remaining in the game, when Fahey found Smith for the score, making him the Big Ten’s all-time receiving touchdown leader. But the Trojans stopped the ensuing two-point conversion to seal the victory.
Riley had finally beaten a top-three opponent at USC, and the Trojans had reminded the rest of college football that their season wasn’t finished.
For one unforgettable Halloween night, the ghosts haunting Riley’s tenure were nowhere to be found.
What it means
USC’s College Football Playoff hopes have a pulse again.
At 7-2, the Trojans remain vulnerable after ugly losses to Oregon and Wisconsin, but beating No. 2 Ohio State changes the conversation. Riley finally has the signature victory his critics have demanded, and the calls for his firing should quiet considerably.
USC’s path remains difficult, but beating No. 4 Indiana in Bloomington after the bye could put the Trojans firmly back in the playoff discussion.
Turning point
Ohio State was threatening to make it a three-point game when Desman Stephens II forced Isaiah West’s fumble and Floyd Boucard recovered. USC immediately answered with Mark Bowman’s spectacular 70-yard gain and King Miller’s touchdown.
Instead of 20-17, the scoreboard read 27-9.
A potential 15-point swing that buried the Buckeyes.
Did you see that?
Mark Bowman might have delivered the highlight of USC’s season.
The freshman tight end caught a pass and hurdled an Ohio State defender during an electrifying 70-yard catch-and-run, setting up Miller’s touchdown.
Up next
USC gets a much-needed bye before traveling to Bloomington for a showdown with No. 4 Indiana, the defending national champions. A victory over the Hoosiers could transform the Trojans from playoff outsiders into legitimate contenders.
Ohio State returns home to face an unranked Oregon team coming off an upset of No. 20 Northwestern. The Buckeyes will need to regroup quickly, particularly if Sayin remains sidelined.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
