The No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes struggled in all phases Saturday night during their road matchup against the USC Trojans.
Ohio State, with true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey making his first career start, lost 30-18 and played from behind throughout. That simply wasn’t a recipe for success with a young QB making his first start on the road.
Even with the defense playing poorly, the Buckeyes’ offense stalled on several occasions in USC territory, settling for four field goals instead of touchdowns. That came back to bite them, and ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit acknowledged it Monday when he spoke about the game for the first time.
Herbstreit Breaks Silence on Buckeyes’ Upset Loss
During his weekly podcast with Joe Galloway, “Nonestop,” Herbstreit broke down why the Buckeyes lost Saturday night.
“The first time they get in the red area they don’t score you’re like that could comeback to haunt you. Second time they get down there, they don’t finish. It seemed like it kept happening,” Herbstreit said. “They were moving the ball pretty well. I thought Fahey was very well prepared. I thought Ryan Day and Arthur Smith put together a nice plan.
“So before it’s like what’s wrong with Ohio State, I think it’s they didn’t finish in the red zone and I think they played a team that was incredibly motivated to get a big win against the No. 2 team in the country and change the complexion of there entire season around by trying to knock off Ohio State.”
CRAZIEST SEASON EVER?!, Ohio State Shocked, and More Crazy Finishes | NONSTOP S2 EP. 11 https://t.co/bKUqMPpJCJ
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 2, 2026
Looking at Ohio State Now
The Buckeyes are in a spot where their margin for error is now nonexistent. They can’t afford to lose another game, as they’ve officially dropped to No. 11 in the country, while USC has moved up to No. 18.
Ohio State will head back home this week to take on the Oregon Ducks. They’ll also play three of their final four games at home, finishing the season against Northwestern, Nebraska on the road and Michigan.
Kirk Herbstreit Breaks Silence on Ohio State’s Upset Loss to USC