Ohio State enters this game No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings and their counterpart USC is ranked No. 8. A game of this magnitude, along with the amount of firepower on both sides, will be significant for the teams involved. However, which unit for which team will carry the chunk of the responsibility?
The answer is the Buckeye defense.
The defense will need to make a statement for Ohio State to win this game, much like they did in the BIG 10 Championship Game versus Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes will face the second-best quarterback they have seen all season in Sam Darnold; Heisman winner Baker Mayfield was No.