USC’s offensive reset begins with self-reflection as the Trojans prepare to host No. 2 Ohio State on Halloween night, needing a vastly improved ground game to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Last week’s 24-7 upset loss to Wisconsin exposed deep offensive vulnerabilities, resulting in a combined minus-17 rushing yards. Running back King Miller finished with just seven yards on 11 carries—marking the statistically weakest performance of his career—while the offensive line surrendered five sacks to the Badgers.
“Just got to execute better,” Miller told reporters. Accepting personal accountability for failing to read the Wisconsin defense effectively, the junior back added, “I mean, got a lot of stuff going on at now. But at the end of the day, I got to just capitalize on certain opportunities that I didn’t. So, it’s on me.”
Head coach Lincoln Riley also shouldered blame, admitting he failed to stick with the rushing attack in the second half. Center Tobias Raymond and left tackle Elijah Paige echoed the sentiment, noting that communication, physicality, and overall execution must improve. Meanwhile, co-starter Waymond Jordan remained sidelined against Wisconsin despite being listed as active, as he continues to manage lingering recovery from a major 2025 injury. Fellow running back Riley Wormley was also active but did not play, leaving freshman Shahn Alston to lead the backfield with 28 yards on seven carries.
Injuries continue to plague the Trojans’ depth chart. Left guard Hayden Treter, who returned from a two-game absence against Wisconsin, exited early and was listed as out on the team’s latest availability report. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman has been sidelined since late September, while defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart remains a fixture on the injury report despite playing through minor ailments.
Ohio State arrives at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum facing its own major personnel hurdle. The Buckeyes will be without star quarterback Julian Sayin, who suffered a season-ending injury during an Oct. 17 victory over Indiana after racking up 2,007 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. With Ohio State coming off a bye week, coach Ryan Day has yet to name whether freshman Luke Fahey or sophomore Tavien St. Clair will start under center.
USC enters the contest averaging 131 rushing yards per game, ranking 13th in the 18-team Big Ten. Re-establishing that ground presence against a formidable Buckeye defense will be paramount for a Trojan squad looking to rebound.
“When we’re multifaceted, we’re pretty tough to defend,” Riley said. “We’ve got to do that very well on Saturday.”
