College football's Week 0 saw USC run out to a dominant 28-0 lead over San Jose State at halftime before easing on the gas pedal and taking a 42-26 final in LA. Despite the lackadaisical ending, the Trojans put all of their 2026 opponents on notice, including Ohio State.
The Buckeyes travel to LA Memorial Coliseum on Halloween for a critical Big Ten clash with USC that will be sandwiched between games against Indiana in Bloomington and Oregon.
Even with such a brutal slate this fall, these three Trojans should already be on OSU's radar after balling out on Saturday:
Jayden Maiava
The minute USC was announced as an opponent, quarterback Jayden Maiava probably entered Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's mind. Somehow, Maiava became even more of a potential headache to scheme against after showing unfathomable chemistry with his offensive line and receivers.
Maiava wasn't sacked once during the win and went 25/29 through the air, which included two touchdowns and 286 passing yards. He was facing a weak Spartans pass rush and a rebuilt secondary, but Maiava's arm couldn't have looked better.
Josh Hoover, Maiava, and Dante Moore make for one of the unholiest combinations of QBs one program could face within the same month this season. October and November offer no quarter to the Scarlet and Gray.
Trent Mosley
Trent Mosley was the second true freshman in USC history to eclipse 100 receiving yards in his debut, adding a touchdown for good measure to his seven catches. Mosley had 118 receiving yards, five short of JuJu Smith-Schuster's record 123 receiving yards in his 2014 true freshman debut against Fresno State.
Mosley proved that he is a prototype slot in a game where no defender on the field was in his orbit. He has body control in the air and is elusive with his blazing speed (4.41 40-yard dash time), though he is tough to tackle to boot.
5-star Buckeyes true freshman DB Jay Timmons will be manning the nickel slot, and he's already impressed in fall camp covering Brandon Inniss and Kyle Parker. Timmons against Mosley could be a season-defining battle on Halloween night.
Luke Wafle
USC showed EDGE Luke Wafle the money to complete his flip from the Buckeyes, and he showed in Week 0 why he may be worth every penny. During his debut, Wafle contributed all over the field, nabbing a pass deflection and assisting in a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. There were also plays where he didn't get any credited stats, where he goaded SJSU's Luke Weaver into forcing throws that turned into incompletions.
Wafle was a nightmare pass-rushing on the edge, but he also set the edge well against the Spartans' rushing attack on Saturday. The New Jersey native looked like a complete defensive end from the jump.
Ian Moore and Phillip Daniels will be tested in a big way in enemy territory on October 31. Wafle is tough to stay in front of, and he'll be tough to forget for Ohio State fans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google