The Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans play on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, in a game on the college football Week 9 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 9 game?
Check out these college football Week 9 picks and college football Week 9 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 4:30 p.m. MST on NBC (stream with Peacock).
Ohio State is a 7-point favorite over USC in college football Week 9 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Buckeyes are -250 on the moneyline, while the Trojans are +210. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 51.5 points.
Watch Ohio State vs USC with Peacock
The Sporting News: Ohio State 27, USC 20
Bill Bender writes: "Is this the last stand for USC under first-year coach
Lincoln Riley? The Trojans are home underdogs against the Buckeyes. Freshman Luke Fahey, a Mission Viejo native, will be making his first start. The Trojans are 0-4 S/U as a home underdog under Riley, but the hook with the home team makes sense. The Buckeyes still have a top-five scoring defense under Matt Patricia, and that will be the difference."
Bookies.com: Bet the under in USC vs Ohio State game
Bill Speros writes: "The Trojan Hearse broke down Saturday night in Madison. USC's offense seized up a 24-7 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. QB Jayden Maiava threw a pair of picks in the loss. Our model has Ohio State winning without QB Julian Sayin, who is done for the season. The Bucks are likely go with true freshman Luke Fahey this week. However, Ohio State’s defense dominates here. It could well limit the Trojans to just one score again this week."
Dimers.com: Ohio State 30, USC 22
It writes: "The numbers give Ohio State a win probability of 72.5%, while Southern California has a win probability of 27.5%."
ESPN: Ohio State has an 82.8% chance to defeat USC
The site gives USC a 17.2% shot at winning the college football Week 9 game against Ohio State.
Sports Betting Dime: Ohio State 33.1, USC 25.2
The site's formula predicts that the Buckeyes will beat the Trojans in the Week 9 college football game.
Sports Illustrated: Bet the under in USC vs Ohio State game
Iain MacMillan writes: "With the unknown variable at quarterback for Ohio State, I'm going to bet on the total in this game and take the UNDER. Ohio State's offense wasn't perfect even with a healthy Julian Sayin, ranking outside the top 50 in rushing metrics. They don't have a strong running game to lean on to help ease Fahey into the starting role. Meanwhile, the Ohio State defense remains elite, ranking fifth in the country in both opponent-adjusted EPA per play and opponent success rate. The USC offense has a similar problem to Ohio State's, struggling to run the ball at an effective level. With the total in the 50s, I'll bet the UNDER."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ohio State vs USC picks, predictions, odds for Big Ten football game
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