USC vs. Ohio State Football 2009

Trojans Face Buckeyes in Early Season Showdown

Sep 6, 2009 Jon Matsune

The Ohio State Buckeyes entered their season opener ranked No. 6 in the nation. They came out of it with a victory, but also with numerous question marks.

So the Buckeyes will need to provide some answers when they play face No. 3 Southern Cal on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State (1-0) barely defeated visiting Navy 31-27 on Sept. 5, being assured of victory only after an onside kick by the Midshipmen failed in the final minutes.

That came moments after Navy -- a three-touchdown underdog -- scored to come within 29-27 with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left. The Midshipmen had a chance to tie the game, but Ohio State linebacker Brian Rolle intercepted an attempted 2-point conversion pass by Ricky Dobbs and returned it the length of the field for two defensive points.

The win wasn't impressive enough to keep the Buckyes at No. 6. They dropped to eighth in The Associated Press rankings.

Southern Cal (1-0) had a much easier time in its opener, routing San Jose State 56-3 in Los Angeles. Matt Barkley became the first true freshman in USC history to start the season opener at quarterback, and delivered an efficient performance. The Trojans also displayed a powerful running game and a suffocating defense.

But can USC maintain its momentum against a talented Ohio State team that's sure to be immensely motivated? The Buckeyes will be eager to prove that they're a better team than they showed against Navy. And they also wouldn't mind avenging last season's 35-3 loss to Southern Cal in Los Angeles.

The game is scheduled for telecast by ESPN, starting at 8 p.m., EST.

Buckeyes Were Vulnerable vs. Navy

Navy shouldn't have had a chance to tie Ohio State in the late going. The Big Ten Conference powerhouse held a 29-14 lead and had the ball at the Midshipmen 15-yard line with 6:32 left.

But instead of attempting a field goal, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel went for a first down on fourth and two. Dan Herron was stopped a yard short, setting the stage for Navy's comeback.

Sure, Tressel's decision turned out to be a bad one. But it wasn't like the Buckeyes had been dominating before that. They ended up with only a narrow advantage in total yardage (363 to 342), and that might have been only because Navy had three turnovers to Ohio State's one.

And the Buckeyes' defense was especially vulnerable in the fourth period.

One play after Herron was stopped, the Buckeyes gave up an 85-yard touchdown pass from Dobbs to Michael Curry. And after Ohio State's Terrelle Pyor threw an interception on the ensuing drive, Navy needed just three plays to move 33 yards for the TD.

There were positives for Ohio State. Pryor was solid most of the way, completing 14 of 21 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown, and rushing for another score. Herron ran for 72 yards and a TD, and led the Buckeyes in receptions with four.

Aaron Pettrey missed what could have been a critical extra point, but he also kicked three field goals, including a 52-yarder.

The defense was led by safety Kurt Coleman, who registered a team-high nine tackles, came up with an interception and forced a fumble. Rolle also had nine tackles.

In USC, Ohio State will be facing a different and substantially bigger beast. Navy, with its tricky offense option offense, succeeds via deception. Southern Cal does it mostly with power and athleticism.

Trojans Started Slowly Vs. San Jose State

Despite its overwhelming margin of victory, USC's performance vs. San Jose State left ample room for improvement.

USC's first five drives ended in three punts and two lost fumbles. The Pac-10 Conference champions eventually erupted for 28 points in the fourth quarter, and the rout was on.

Obviously, USC could afford a slow start vs. San Jose State. Will that be the case vs. a team like Ohio State?

In any case, it was impressive what the Trojans did after that slow start.

Barkley, after a couple poor throws early, completed 15 of 19 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown. Joe McKnight ran 14 times for 145 yards and two scores, as 10 different USC rushers combined for 342 yards. In all, the Trojans rolled up 620 yards of total offense.

A young Trojans defense gave up nothing after a first-quarter field goal and yielded just 121 yards.

Linebacker Chris Galippo led the Trojans with nine tackles, including a forced fumble. Nick Perry had two sacks, and star safety Taylor Mays recorded six tackles.

Perhaps USC's biggest strength is its depth. That was enough to physically wear out San Jose State, but that's not as likely to be the case against Ohio State.

USC Has Won Six in a Row Over Ohio State

The Buckeyes and Trojans have played 22 times -- including seven Rose Bowls. USC owns a 12-9-1 series edge, and has won the last six meetings between the schools.

Last year's game, played Sept. 13, 2008, was the schools' first meeting since 1990

Ohio State's last win in the series was a 42-21 triumph in the 1974 Rose Bowl. After that, the Trojans defeated the Buckeyes in the 1975, 1980 and 1985 Rose Bowls, and in regular season games in 1990. 1990 and 2008.

The copyright of the article USC vs. Ohio State Football 2009 in Football is owned by Jon Matsune. Permission to republish USC vs. Ohio State Football 2009 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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