Ohio State and USC have finished one half of football in the prime time Big Ten matchup in Los Angeles. The Buckeyes went into the locker room trailing 20-9 after a dominant first half for the Trojans.
Both offenses have found success moving the ball down the field, but USC has converted on their opportunities while Ohio State has struggled to finish drives. Here are three things we took away from the first half in Los Angeles with Ohio State and USC.
Trent Mosley is a big problem for the Buckeyes
The USC freshman wide receiver has been putting on a show for the Trojans. On the second play from scrimmage, Jayden Maiava dumped off a screen pass to Mosley who turned up the field for 69 yards and the score.
Trent Mosley breaks free for a MASSIVE USC touchdown! 😤 📺 Ohio State at USC on NBC and
Peacock pic.twitter.com/ZGdRhgQ1LA
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 31, 2026
Mosley continued to make a big impact in the first half as he recorded four more receptions bringing his total yardage to 101 yards. He also proved his value on special teams, returning a punt 44 yards setting up USC’s second touchdown of the game.
Ohio State will need to eliminate Mosley in the second half to slow down the Trojan offense.
Ohio State needs to convert in the red zone
The Buckeyes found success moving the ball in the first half but have failed to find the end zone. Ohio State amounted 192 total offensive yards and have visited the red zone on two separate occasions. Both times the Buckeyes had to settle for field goals.
On the first Ohio State offensive drive, the Buckeyes stalled out on the USC 21-yard line. The promising opening drive ended in three points which seemed like a win after Luke Fahey’s pass was nearly intercepted on third down.
After falling down 14-3, it seemed like the Ohio State offense was going to respond, but a costly illegal substitution penalty caused a third and long for the Buckeyes. Ultimately, Ohio State was forced to kick another field goal.
The most heartbreaking drive for the Buckeyes came near the end of the half. Ohio State thought it scored their first touchdown on a Luke Fahey tush push play, but after review, the ball was ruled just short of the goal line. The Trojan defense then held strong, and the Buckeyes called on Connor Hawkins for the third time in the game.
Ohio State must convert on their opportunities in the second half if it wants to find a way to win this game against USC.
Jeremiah Smith is still unstoppable
There were a lot of question marks heading into this game surrounding the Ohio State offense. With the injury to quarterback Julian Sayin, the true freshman Luke Fahey has taken the reigns under center. It was hard to know how this change would affect the Heisman favorite, but so far, it seems that Jeremiah Smith will continue to dominate.
The Buckeyes made it obvious on their first offensive drive that they will continue to rely on their leading receiver. Fahey found Smith on Ohio State’s first offensive play and looked his way most of the half. The freshman quarterback completed only eight passes with five of them going to Smith.
In the first half, Smith recorded 35 yards on the five receptions. The star wide receiver demonstrated his talent creating separation and making contested catches. Ohio State must continue to call his number if it wants to come back in this one.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: 3 halftime observations from Ohio State vs. USC
