For the first time in 13 years, Ohio State is playing in a bowl game that doesn't come on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.
The Buckeyes missed out on the 2017-18 College Football Playoff, but their opponent is sure to catch their eye as USC rolls into Arlington, Texas, to meet Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl.
The Trojans, much like the Buckeyes, had aspirations of making the CFP, but a pair of losses – including a blowout loss on the road – has USC meeting Ohio State on the gridiron for the first time since 2009.
When scouting the Trojans, it is hard to overlook quarterback Sam Darnold, who is likely a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. That said, there are plenty of other Trojans who provide threats on the field as well.
Offense (Multiple)
Quarterback: Sam Darnold (No. 14) 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Strengths:
- NFL-ready arm. Has the ability to make any throw on the field.
- Moves well in the pocket and has solid escapability. Difficult to bring down on first contact in the pocket.
- Distributor. USC has three different receivers with 40 or more receptions.
Weaknesses:
- Has shown a tendency at times to lock into his first read and wait too long to deliver the football.
Running back: Ronald Jones II (No. 25) 6-foot, 200 pounds, junior
Strengths:
- Has good patience in the hole and lets plays develop in front of him.
- Breakaway speed. Does not often get caught from behind in the open field.
- Protects the football. Does not have a fumble this season.
Weaknesses:
- Not used much in the passing game. Has just 14 receptions this season.
Wide receivers: Deontay Burnett (No. 80) 6-foot, 170 pounds, junior / Tyler Vaughns (No. 21) 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, redshirt freshman / Steven Mitchell, Jr. (No. 4) 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, redshirt senior / Tight end Tyler Petite (No. 82) 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, junior
Strengths:
- Entire group has good speed, with Burnett boasting the most receptions at 74.
- Vaughns is a threat to win one-on-one battles with his size.
Weaknesses:
- Outside of Petite, this group doesn't have much build to them, which could hurt them when trying to get off Ohio State's man-to-man jams at the line of scrimmage.
Offensive line: LT Toa Lobendahn (No. 50) 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, redshirt junior / LG Chris Brown (No. 77) 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, redshirt junior / C Nico Falah (No. 74) 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, redshirt senior / RG Andrew Vorhees (No. 72) 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, freshman / RT Chuma Edoga (No. 70) 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, junior
Strengths:
- Pass protection. Part of this is because of Darnold's escapability, but despite a high amount of pass attempts this season, USC has allowed just 22 sacks.
- Good size on the interior, which has led to a plethora of yards from Jones.
Weaknesses:
- Shorter tackles could create problems with reach and keeping Ohio State's defensive ends in front.
Overall analysis: USC's offense is predicated on power running with play action behind it, with Darnold pushing the ball down field. When Jones gets going, the Trojan offense is difficult to stop. When the game is put in Darnold's hands, however, he has a tendency to lock into his first read and take chances with the football.
Up front, USC has remained consistent this season, but has smaller tackles which could lead to problems keeping Ohio State's athletic defensive ends in front. The Trojan wide receivers can create problems with their speed and quickness, but overall, it is a shorter group rather than a tall unit that is going to go up and get the ball.
Defense (Multiple)
Defensive line: DE Rasheem Green (No. 94) 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, junior / NT Josh Fatu (No. 98) 6-foot-2, 315 pounds, senior / DE Malik Dorton (No. 44) 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, redshirt junior / DE Christian Rector (No. 89) 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, redshirt sophomore
Strengths:
- The Trojans led the Pac-12 in sacks this season, led by Green, who has tallied nine.
- Rector will sometimes line up as a stand-up defensive end and has proven to be a menace off the edge, collecting 7.5 sacks in 11 games.
Weaknesses:
- Stopping the run. The Trojans rank 55th in the country in stopping the run, surrendering more than 150 yards per game.
Linebackers: OLB Uchenna Nwosu (No. 42) 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, senior / ILB Josh Huston (No. 10) 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, redshirt sophomore / ILB Cameron Smith (No. 35) 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, junior
Strengths:
- With a three-man front, this group is usually relied on to make plenty of tackles. Smith leads the way with 102 tackles in 13 games played this season.
- All three starting linebackers have collected an interception this season, and have a tendency to find themselves in passing lanes.
Weaknesses:
- Have struggled in stopping the run, along with the defensive line. One-on-one tackling can be trouble for this unit.
Defensive backs: CB Jack Jones (No. 25) 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, sophomore / FS Marvell Tell III (No. 7) 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, junior / SS Chris Hawkins (No. 4) 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, redshirt senior / CB Iman Marshall (No. 8) 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, junior / Nickel Ajene Harris (No. 27) 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, redshirt junior
Strengths:
- Jones has proven to be USC's most productive cover corner, collecting four interceptions, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and even a blocked kick on special teams.
- Hawkins has proven to be more of a threat in the run game, checking in at second on the team in tackles, but also adding an interception.
Weaknesses:
- Ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in pass defense, surrendering 246.5 yards per game through the air, allowing three separate games of 300 yards or more.
Overall analysis: The Trojan defense has struggled to keep much in front of them this season, but does feature a number of talented players. Linebacker Cameron Smith has a nose for the football, having collected more than 100 tackles this season. When it comes down to it, though, if the USC defense can't force turnovers, the Trojans struggle to get opposing offenses off the field.
Special Teams
Kicker: Chase McGrath (No. 40) 6-foot, 190 pounds, freshman
Punter: Reid Budrovich (No. 46) 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, redshirt junior
Analysis: McGrath has converted on 12-of-16 kicks this season with a long of 51, having converted on two kicks of longer than 50 yards this season. Budrovich averages 42.51 yards per punt this season, ranking him No. 6 in the Pac-12.
