Entering Saturday’s BIG10 showdown on Saturday, Lincoln Riley was running out of excuses, running out of goodwill and, depending on whom you asked, running out of time as head coach of the USC Trojans.
asserted
you → enter → Trojans
But on Halloween night, Riley finally gave the Trojans fans something they hadn’t seen in five years: a signature victory over a top-5 ranked opponent.
asserted
they → give → opponent
One week after hitting rock bottom in a humiliating loss to Wisconsin, USC delivered the biggest upset of the college football season, stunning No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday.
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USC → hit → Saturday
For Riley, it was arguably the biggest victory of his collegiate coaching career and unquestionably his finest moment since arriving in Los Angeles in November of 2021.
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it → arrive → 2021
The Buckeyes entered Saturday with a 6-1 record, CFP Championship aspirations and one of the most talented rosters in America.
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Buckeyes → enter → America
They left Los Angeles with their national championship hopes bruised and their offense exposed.
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offense → leave → Angeles
USC, meanwhile, resurrected a season that appeared dead and buried just seven days earlier.
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that → resurrect → season
Against one of the best teams in the country, USC looked nothing like the lifeless squad that rushed for an astonishing minus-17 yards in Madison a week earlier.
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that → look → Madison
The Trojans needed just two plays to announce themselves on the national stage against the Buckeyes.
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Trojans → need → Buckeyes
Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley caught a screen pass from Jayden Maiava and exploded through the Buckeyes defense for a 69-yard touchdown less than a minute into the game.
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Mosley → catch → game
The Coliseum erupted, USC rushed out to an early 7-0 lead and would never look back.
Ohio State, playing without injured starting quarterback Julian Sayin, struggled to find its rhythm behind freshman Luke Fahey.
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State → erupt → Fahey
Even with Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremiah Smith at receiver, the Buckeyes couldn’t consistently finish drives.
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Buckeyes → finish → drives
Connor Hawkins connected on four field goals, but USC’s defense refused to surrender the end zone.
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defense → connect → zone
Waymond Jordan, who missed last week’s disaster against Wisconsin, returned with a nine-yard touchdown run that extended USC’s lead to 14-3.
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that → miss → 14
Even when USC threatened to sabotage itself, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize on their mistakes.
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Buckeyes → threaten → mistakes
King Miller fumbled near midfield, handing Ohio State excellent field position.
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Miller → fumble → position
But with the Buckeyes threatening to score, USC’s defense stiffened near its own goal line, forcing Hawkins’ third field goal.
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defense → threaten → goal
Instead of surrendering momentum, the Trojans preserved their lead.
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Trojans → surrender → lead
Caden Chittenden, who missed both field-goal attempts against Wisconsin, added another three points before halftime, sending USC into the locker room leading 20-9.
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who → miss → room
For a program that had spent the previous week being questioned about everything from its toughness to its coaching, the transformation was remarkable.
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transformation → spend → coaching
The Buckeyes took the opening kickoff of the second half and immediately started driving down the field.
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Buckeyes → take → field
With Ohio State threatening to claw its way back, Isaiah West caught a pass from Fahey before USC linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered a tackle that jarred the football loose.
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that → threaten → football
Defensive tackle Floyd Boucard recovered the fumble and the Trojans were in business.
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Trojans → recover → business
Moments later, freshman tight end Mark Bowman produced the play of the night, hurdling a defender during a spectacular 70-yard catch-and-run that set up Miller’s one-yard touchdown.
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that → produce → touchdown
Suddenly, USC led 27-9.
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USC → lead → ?
Ohio State finally scored a touchdown with 2:12 remaining in the game, when Fahey found Smith for the score, making him the Big Ten’s all-time receiving touchdown leader.
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him → score → score
But the Trojans stopped the ensuing two-point conversion to seal the victory.
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Trojans → stop → victory
Riley had finally beaten a top-three opponent at USC, and the Trojans had reminded the rest of college football that their season wasn’t finished.
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season → beat → football
For one unforgettable Halloween night, the ghosts haunting Riley’s tenure were nowhere to be found.
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ghosts → haunt → tenure
What it means
USC’s College Football Playoff hopes have a pulse again.
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hopes → mean → pulse
At 7-2, the Trojans remain vulnerable after ugly losses to Oregon and Wisconsin, but beating No. 2 Ohio State changes the conversation.
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beating → remain → conversation
Riley finally has the signature victory his critics have demanded, and the calls for his firing should quiet considerably.
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calls → have → firing
USC’s path remains difficult, but beating No. 4 Indiana in Bloomington after the bye could put the Trojans firmly back in the playoff discussion.
uncertain
beating → remain → discussion
Ohio State was threatening to make it a three-point game when Desman Stephens II forced Isaiah West’s fumble and Floyd Boucard recovered.
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Boucard → threaten → fumble
USC immediately answered with Mark Bowman’s spectacular 70-yard gain and King Miller’s touchdown.
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USC → answer → gain
Instead of 20-17, the scoreboard read 27-9.
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scoreboard → read → 27
A potential 15-point swing that buried the Buckeyes.
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that → bury → Buckeyes
Did you see that?
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you → see → that
Mark Bowman might have delivered the highlight of USC’s season.
uncertain
Bowman → deliver → season
The freshman tight end caught a pass and hurdled an Ohio State defender during an electrifying 70-yard catch-and-run, setting up Miller’s touchdown.
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end → catch → touchdown
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
