The Common Denominator Between USC, Indiana and Ohio State

No. 18 USC Football will travel to Bloomington for a Big Ten showdown against the No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The No. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes are the one common opponent between the two schools. Let’s dive into how each team did against the Buckeyes for a better idea about how the game might play out. 

Ohio State defeated Indiana 19-15 in Bloomington on October 17. The Indiana defense limited the Ohio State to 313 total yards while only allowing 78 yards on 37 carries. Indiana’s defense also had three sacks and two interceptions against Ohio State.

Two weeks later on Halloween, Ohio State went to Los Angeles and lost 30-18 to USC. Going into the game Ohio State had not given up a play longer on 37 yards all season. On the second play of the game, USC’s Trent Mosley took a Jayden Maiava screen 69 yards to the house.

The Mosley touchdown set the tone for the night with USC's high powered offense being too much for the Ohio State defense. USC scored 14 points in the first quarter and never looked back. What became clear is that the then-No. 2 Buckeyes didn't have an answer for USC’s offense.

Even though USC was outgained on the ground 204-116, USC's run game got the yards they needed in crucial situations.

USC's explosive offense showed itself again when freshman tight end Mark Bowman ran over and through six Buckeye defenders for a 79 yard catch and run.

Ohio State’s defense was allowing 15.5 points per game going into the USC game. With 30 points scored, USC doubled that number.

Indiana gained 369 total yards against Ohio State, including 73 yards on the ground. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 296 yards compared to Maiava’s 222 yards. Hoover threw two touchdowns with no picks, but Indiana gave up two fumbles in the game.

Heisman front runner Jeremiah Smith had ten receptions for 83 yards and a score against USC. His impact was minimal against USC. Hall of fame defensive coordinator Gary Patterson put on a masterclass on how to shut down the Big Ten's most productive receiver.

Against Indiana, Smith had four receptions for 68 yards and a score. Smith didn't have the impact most fans are accustomed to him having. It’s easy to think that the Heisman front- runner might have lost the Heisman when reviewing his last two games.

One difference between Smith in the two games is that against USC he was without his starting quarterback. Sayin was injured against Indiana forcing Ohio State head coach Ryan Day to play true freshman Luke Fahey. Fahey went 0-for-2 in passing when he got in the game against the Hoosiers.

Against Indiana, Sayin threw two touchdowns and two interceptions before an elbow injury sidelined the 2026 Heisman finalist. He went 15-for-29 and was sacked three times before leaving. He also had 5 carries for -26 yards.

USC and Indiana did a decent job against Smith. USC outperformed Indiana in the run game against Ohio State. Indiana outperformed USC in explosive plays 11-8, but USC turned those into points compared to Indiana whose turnovers in the red zone contributed to their loss.

USC’s defense gave up one less point to Ohio State compared to the Indiana defense. The biggest difference was USC’s offense scored 15 more points against Ohio State than Indiana did. If USC can continue on with the explosive plays, Indiana might be in trouble.

USC was humiliated in their last road game when the Wisconsin Badgers beat them 24-7. USC was a 7.5 point favorite in that game. Head coach Lincoln Riley is 11-10 in road games in his time as the USC coach. USC is currently a 8.5 point underdog heading into the game.