CFB51 College Football Fan Community

The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on October 25, 2026, 11:10:24 PM

Title: #2 Ohio State (6-1/4-0) at USC (6-2/3-2)
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on October 25, 2026, 11:10:24 PM

The nation's #2 team has lost the last two weeks and there is a very strong chance that streak will continue. 

As an Ohio State fan I just don't like the set-up here. Ohio State's QB will be making his first start, in a hostile stadium several timezones from home against a team whose back is pretty much against the wall. 

Title: Re: #2 Ohio State (6-1/4-0) at USC (6-2/3-2)
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on October 26, 2026, 04:38:18 AM

The series is interesting. USC holds a 13-10-1 advantage in 24 games. That includes a slew of close games. In those 24 previous games:

• USC holds a 5-2-1 advantage in 8 games at home.
• The teams split 8 games in Columbus. 
• The teams split 8 bowl games with USC holding a 4-3 advantage in Rose Bowls and Ohio State winning a Cotton Bowl. 

The winner won the NC a number of times including at least one Rose Bowl in which #1 played #2 for the NC in a proto NG Game.

Ohio State held a 9-6-1 advantage up through the 1973 season then lost 7 straight over 36 years from the 1974 through 2009 seasons. Ohio state won the last meeting.

Chronologically:

• USC swept a H&H in 1937/38.
• tOSU swept a H&H right before and after the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor (https://youtu.be/V8lT1o0sDwI?is=3qSczUQ-gpwaKhRu) in 1941/42.
• tOSU won a 4-game HH&HH in 1946-1949 by a 2-1-1 count (1-0-1 in Columbus, split in SoCal).
• tOSU won the first Rose Bowl game between the two and thus the NC in the 1954 season. 
• The teams split a H&H in 1959/60 with the home team winning both games. 
• The teams split a H&H in 1963/64 with the home team winning both games. 
• Ohio State won the NC by winning a #1v#2 game in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1969.
• USC won the NC by winning a #1v#3 game in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1973.
• Ohio State won the 1974 Rose Bowl. 
• USC won the 1975 Rose Bowl. 
• USC won the 1980 Rose Bowl. 
• USC won the 1985 Rose Bowl. 
• USC swept a H&H in 1989/90.
• USC swept a H&H in 2008/09.
• tOSU won the 2017 season Cotton Bowl. 

Title: Re: #2 Ohio State (6-1/4-0) at USC (6-2/3-2)
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on October 26, 2026, 04:51:35 AM

Seven of the prior 24 games were decided by one possession with USC dominating the close games 6-0-1:

• USC won by 3 in Columbus in 2009.
• USC won the 1985 Rose Bowl by 3.
• USC won the 1980 Rose Bowl by 1.
• USC won the 1975 Rose Bowl by 1.
• The teams tied in SoCal in 1949.
• USC won by 7 in Columbus in 1938.
• USC won by 1 in SoCal in 1937.

Title: Re: #2 Ohio State (6-1/4-0) at USC (6-2/3-2)
Post by: Cincydawg on October 26, 2026, 04:57:30 AM

My guess is OSU shows its stuff here and wins going away, but of course ....