The No. 16 USC Trojans earn the distinction of playing a primetime game on Halloween.
They'll take the field before the sun goes down on Oct. 31, with No. 3 Ohio State coming to town that evening. Now fans have learned what time both teams will have their opening kickoff.
Ohio State at USC Earning Primetime Halloween Stage
Both teams will take the field before the nation goes trick-or-treating or hosts their Halloween parties.
The Buckeyes and Trojans earned a 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff, the schools announced on the morning of Oct. 19.
USC continues to receive love from NBC Sports too, as that heavyweight showdown will air on the network, plus through its streaming service Peacock.
This will mark the fourth time the NBC crew will head to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. NBC aired USC's home opener against San Jose State during a week zero non-conference game. The network brought back play-by-play commentator Noah Eagle and color commentator Todd Blackledge for the Oregon showdown back on Sept. 26. NBC then aired the nail-biter between Washington and USC on Oct. 3.
NBC also hit the road to air the USC at Penn State contest won by the Trojans on Oct. 10 in State College. Only this time, OSU at USC brings lots of star power and even more intriguing storylines, including a notabloe homecoming for one surprise Buckeyes starter.
Ohio State Starter to Play Closer to Home
Quarterback Luke Fahey is more than likely going to lead the Buckeyes' offense for this showdown. Even after the Buckeyes have their bye week on Oct. 24.
That's because starting quarterback Julian Sayin left the road win over Indiana with a sling over his right arm. Sayin is now projected to miss significant time with his shoulder injury. But there's a Southern California angle attached to Fahey.
He previously starred at the annual Orange County powerhouse Mission Viejo High School and graduated from the 2026 class. Despite his smallish 5-11 frame, Fahey proved his accuracy facing one of the tougher schedules in the nation with the Diablos, as they faced a Rancho Santa Margarita Catholic team coached by USC legendary quarterback Carson Palmer plus even took on Tennessee powerhouse McCallie High during Fahey's senior season.
So Fahey more than likely will have a Mission Viejo/Orange County contingent as he feeds the football to Heisman Trophy hopeful at wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. USC also must prepare for the even taller 6-6 wideout Chris Henry Jr., whom the Trojans tried to flip on the recruiting trail during the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Could Another Big-Name Visitor Show Up?
So USC fans will see the NBC cameras pull up plus its live trucks. But could there be another big-name visitor showing up? Signs could point that way.
The nationally-ranked Ohio State at USC showdown could very well attract ESPN College GameDay for multiple reasons. For starters, both Big Ten rivals will be ranked in the top 20 for this showdown. Secondly, the only other current Oct. 31 contest featuring two ranked teams are No. 25 Arizona at No. 8 Texas Tech.
However, the famed pregame show already plans to take in another Big 12 showdown before Arizona-TTU: No. 10 Utah hosting No. 14 Houston in the Beehive State, which ESPN announced on Oct. 18.
That may mean the crew of Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee could become more intrigued by the biggest Big Ten showdown of Halloween weekend and prevent being at a Big 12 venue for the third straight week (the show aired from the BYU campus on Oct. 17).
If not ESPN College GameDay, the Big Noon Kickoff crew featuring Rob Stone, Mark Ingram, Brady Quinn, Urban Meyer and USC legend Matt Leinart could take in the atmosphere too, especially with Fox having its own broadcasting rights to air Big Ten games compared to ESPN. But USC has 4-2 Wisconsin to deal with first on Oct. 24 before facing OSU.
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