COLUMBUS — Ohio State needed its experienced players to step up Saturday night with true freshman Luke Fahey making his first collegiate start. Instead, the Buckeyes suffered a disappointing 30-18 loss at USC, struggling with penalties, poor protection, and defensive breakdowns.
The loss wasn't entirely without positives. Fahey handled a tough environment well, while Jeremiah Smith broke two major receiving records. Unfortunately, their performances weren't enough to overcome the problems elsewhere.
HEROES
Luke Fahey — Quarterback
Fahey wasn't perfect against USC, but expecting perfection from a true freshman making his first start on the road would have been unreasonable. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, showing poise despite inconsistent protection and mistakes around him.
There were throws he could have made and decisions he could have handled better. However, Fahey also delivered several big-time throws, including a 39-yard pass to Chris Henry Jr. and a 24-yard gain to Mason Williams. He led the Buckeyes on an 80-yard fourth-quarter touchdown drive that ended with a one-yard scoring pass to Smith.
Ohio State finished with 464 yards of offense and 25 first downs, but four of its scoring drives ended in field goals. Fahey shares some responsibility for those missed opportunities, but the freshman wasn't the reason Ohio State lost. His performance offered encouragement for a team that may need to rely on him for the remainder of the season.
Jeremiah Smith — Wide Receiver
Smith provided another bright spot, finishing with 10 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown while breaking two major records. His 27-yard reception in the first quarter made him the first Ohio State player with three 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
He added another record late in the fourth quarter, catching a one-yard touchdown pass from Fahey for his 40th career receiving score. That moved him past Michigan's Braylon Edwards for the most touchdown receptions in Big Ten history.
Smith continued producing despite Ohio State's offensive struggles, giving Fahey a dependable target throughout the night. His performance added two more accomplishments to an already remarkable career with the Buckeyes.
ZEROS
Gabe VanSickle — Offensive Line
VanSickle had a really bad night in an offensive line performance that fell well short of what Ohio State needed. With a true freshman starting at quarterback, protecting Fahey should have been among the offense's highest priorities, but the Buckeyes struggled instead.
VanSickle's problems included an offensive holding penalty early in the third quarter that backed Ohio State up near its own goal line. He also struggled with his blocking throughout the game, while the offensive line allowed two sacks and committed other costly penalties; numbers that don't entirely tell the story that actually happened.
VanSickle wasn't alone in struggling, but his performance was especially bad. Ohio State needed its offensive line to help stabilize the offense around Fahey, and too often it created additional problems instead.
The Entire Defense
For two weeks, the expectation has been clear: Ohio State's defense must lead this team while Fahey adjusts to replacing the injured Julian Sayin. Against USC, that defense failed to meet the challenge.
The Trojans entered Saturday coming off a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin in which they managed minus-17 rushing yards. Against Ohio State, USC scored 30 points and averaged 6.8 yards per play despite possessing the ball for only 20 minutes and 32 seconds.
The breakdowns began almost immediately. Jayden Maiava connected with Trent Mosley for a 69-yard touchdown just 39 seconds into the game. Later, a 70-yard completion to Mark Bowman set up King Miller's one-yard touchdown run, giving USC a 27-9 lead in the third quarter.
Those two completions accounted for 139 of USC's 338 total yards, showing how costly explosive plays were. Ohio State also allowed a 21-yard run up the middle on third-and-19 during a second-quarter possession that ended with a USC field goal. Atrocious.
Ohio State committed 11 penalties for 71 yards, further complicating an afternoon in which the Buckeyes needed their experienced players to execute. The defense cannot expect a freshman quarterback to carry the offense while surrendering big play after big play. With Oregon coming to Columbus next Saturday, the Buckeyes need a much better performance from a unit that was supposed to lead the team.
