College football · Week 9 2026 · Saturday, October 31
Ohio State vs USC prediction and pick
Our Ohio State Buckeyes at USC Trojans pick: Ohio State by 10.5, 74% to win. The forecast rates every team against the opponents it has played, this season and last, and adds home field. No betting information goes in.
An early look, 5 weeks ahead: it sharpens as the game comes up. Updated every day until kickoff, then frozen and scored. After the game this page shows who deserved to win.
Why the curves are so wide: luck. Even with both teams’ strength known exactly, one game’s bounces, kicks, calls and sequencing move the final margin by about ±12.1 points (one standard deviation, measured from every play since 2019). These forecasts carry ±16.8, so about 52% of the width is that luck; the rest is what nobody knows yet about the teams. That is why a 7-point favorite still loses about 3 times in 10.
Coin-flip wins: the wins each team’s games were worth with only the kicks, bounces, drops and calls re-rolled, the record adjusted for luck. Luck in wins: actual wins minus what the play was worth.
Ohio State vs USC: questions and answers
Who will win Ohio State vs USC?
Our forecast picks Ohio State, with 74% to win; USC win 26% of the time.
What’s the spread for Ohio State vs USC?
Our spread: Ohio State −10.5. The betting line isn’t out yet. Ours uses no betting information, so where the two differ is where our read of the teams differs from the market’s.
When is Ohio State vs USC?
Saturday, October 31, 2026 (kickoff time to be announced), at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Ohio State at 
USC
