How to Watch USC vs. Ohio State on Halloween Night, and What Is at Stake

No. 2 Ohio State visits USC on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a Big Ten game that USC's official listing says kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC. The Trojans (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) are home underdogs against the Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten), who will go without their starting quarterback, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Sports Illustrated described the game as arguably the biggest of USC's season, with the Trojans' College Football Playoff hopes and coach Lincoln Riley's standing among the stakes.

What it means for fans trying to watch or listen

USC Athletics says the game will air nationally on NBC, with a live stream at NBC.com/live for viewers with a valid TV provider login. Fans without cable can watch on Peacock with a subscription. The Dispatch also lists Fubo, which it says offers a free trial, as a streaming option.

Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen will call the game on NBC, according to USC.

On radio, ESPN LA 710 AM begins its coverage at 2:30 p.m. PT with a two-hour pregame show, USC said. Broadcasts can also be streamed worldwide through USCTrojans.com/Listen, the ESPN LA App, the USC Gameday App, the Varsity App and SiriusXM. USC lists SiriusXM channels 197, 198 or 397, or app channels 959 and 960. A Spanish-language broadcast starts 30 minutes before kickoff.

Tickets from the USC Ticket Office are sold out, the school said. Verified resale tickets remain available through SeatGeek, USC's official fan-to-fan marketplace.

A conflict over the start time

Reports differ slightly. The Dispatch lists a 7:30 p.m. ET start, which matches USC's 4:30 p.m. PT, but a later line in the same article says the teams will kick off at noon. USC's own listing and Sports Illustrated both say 4:30 p.m. PT.

Why it matters for USC and Ohio State

For USC, Sports Illustrated reported, a win would help keep playoff hopes alive and ease pressure on Riley after a 24-7 road loss to Wisconsin. ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Trojans a 3.7 percent chance of making the playoff, and they are outside the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, according to the outlet. A loss would all but end those chances, Sports Illustrated wrote.

The Buckeyes are without Julian Sayin, who coach Ryan Day ruled out indefinitely, the Dispatch reported. Sayin left the fourth quarter of the Ohio State-Indiana game with an injury and returned to the sideline in a sling. The Dispatch said Ohio State will start a first-time quarterback. Its columnist Joey Kaufman called this possibly the toughest remaining regular-season game for the Buckeyes, citing cross-country travel and the quarterback uncertainty. He also said USC's Jayden Maiava might be the best healthy quarterback left in the Big Ten.

Who is hurt for the Trojans

Sports Illustrated published USC's Big Ten availability report. Seven players are out:

• Wide receivers Terrell Anderson and Corey Simms
• Safety Kendarius Reddick
• Linebackers Taylor Johnson and Roman Marchetti
• Offensive linemen Kilian O'Connor and Hayden Treter

Four more are questionable: defensive tackles Jahkeem Stewart and Jamaal Jarrett, tight end Mark Bowman and running back Shahn Alston. Sports Illustrated flagged the uncertain status of Stewart and Jarrett as the main concern, since the Trojans' defense will need a full effort against the Buckeyes.

The betting line and series history

Sports Illustrated reported that USC is a 6.5-point underdog at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Dispatch, citing BetMGM odds as of Thursday, Oct. 29, listed Ohio State at -6.5, an over/under of 51.5 and a moneyline of -250. Odds change periodically.

This will be the 25th meeting between the schools, and USC leads the series 13-10-1. The last game was the 2017 Cotton Bowl, which Ohio State won 24-7. Sports Illustrated said this is the first time they will meet as Big Ten opponents.

What comes next for USC

Sports Illustrated noted that USC's remaining schedule includes a road game against No. 4 Indiana on Nov. 14 and a Senior Day matchup with Maryland, which recently fired coach Mike Locksley.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Sports Illustrated, USC Athletics, The Columbus Dispatch