Does Ohio State play today? No, Buckeyes are idle before Oct. 31 game at USC

Why Ohio State isn't playing today

No, Ohio State does not play today. The Buckeyes are in a bye week after their win over Indiana, and their next game is Saturday, Oct. 31, on the road against No. 16 USC. Kickoff at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, the first time Ohio State has played on that network this season.

The game carries more weight than a normal late-October trip. It is Ohio State's third road conference game of the year, with the No. 3 Buckeyes traveling to play No. 16 USC in the 25th all-time meeting between the schools, the 12th straight time both teams have entered a matchup ranked. The teams have not played since USC joined the Big Ten in 2024, and the last time they met at all was the 2017 Cotton Bowl.

Julian Sayin is out, and that changes everything

Sayin threw for more than 2,000 yards in seven games and led the Big Ten with 19 passing touchdowns, but he was already having the worst game of his career when he got hurt against Indiana.

Luke Fahey is expected to make his first career start at USC with little time to adjust to the job. Ohio State still has receiver Jeremiah Smith on the field to lean on, and a defense that ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense, scoring defense and opponent success rate, which gives Fahey some room to grow into the role without the offense needing to carry every game.

The injury list goes well past the quarterback

Sayin is not the only name on Ohio State's injury report. Offensive lineman Austin Siereveld has missed the last two games with an undisclosed illness, and running back Ja'Kobi Jackson is out until at least the Michigan game with a foot injury. Co-starting running back Bo Jackson was missing at the end of the Indiana game, and receiver Brock Boyd, a game-time decision on the injury report, did not play at all.

The defense took hits too. Cornerback Jay Timmons, by far Ohio State's best defensive player before he left, was out for most of the fourth quarter against Indiana. Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson went down with what looked like a knee injury in Bloomington. How many of that group suit up against USC is still unknown.

Ohio State and USC go back further than this season

Ohio State holds a 10-13-1 edge in the all-time series with USC, including a 2-5-1 record in true road games there. The teams last met in the 2017 Cotton Bowl, when No. 5 Ohio State beat No. 8 USC 24-7. That Ohio State defense forced four turnovers, including a Damon Webb interception return for a touchdown, and quarterback J.T. Barrett finished as the team's leading passer and rusher in his final college game. Seven different Buckeyes recorded a sack that day, Sam Hubbard's 2.5 the most of the group.

Nine years later, Ohio State returns to that same opponent without its starting quarterback and without several other regulars. The Oct. 31 game at the Coliseum will answer a lot of questions that a bye week cannot.

Facts per Yahoo Sports, Ohio State | Official Athletics Website. Opinion is the taproom's.