AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN
Buckeye to Watch: Senior QB J.T. Barrett Barrett has been a fixture in college football since his freshman year at Ohio State. The Texas native will play in his 50th and final game back in his home state on Friday against the Trojans. He's a mercurial player who has led his team to great heights but also struggled in crucial losses. This season, he was nearly flawless in the Buckeyes' best win against Penn State (33/39 for 328 yards and 4 TDs + 95 yards rushing), but he looked a shell of himself as Ohio State fell to Iowa and Oklahoma (5 interceptions combined). Overall, his stats are impressive. He has accounted for 45 touchdowns (35 passing and 10 rushing), possesses a dual threat (double-digit rush attempts in 7 games) and excels at throwing the deep ball.
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3 Keys
Hold the Line
USC has an advantage at quarterback and tailback with Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones II primed to steal the show. However, the Trojans' gunslinger needs time to deliver if he's going to match his Rose Bowl heights, and the Texas Tesla needs a lane to find the open road. In USC's losses, Washington State and Notre Dame were able to slow the Trojans with penetration, forcing Darnold to run for his life and stopping Jones in his tracks. Ohio State has a fierce front led by Nick Bosa (team-leading 7 sacks), Sam Hubbard (10 TFLs) and Tyquan Lewis (6 sacks). The Trojans' offensive line will face its toughest test of the season.
Little Ball
USC is used to being the faster, more athletic team, but the Buckeyes skill players could form a formidable track relay. Ohio State has 18 runs of 30+ yards (7th in the nation) and 8 passes of 50+ yards (15th in the nation). The Trojans must keep all that speed in front of them and force Barrett to drive the length of the field. In the Big Ten championship game, all three of the Buckeyes' touchdown drives were 4 plays or less.
Rose Bowl Feel
Outside of the College Football Playoff, this is the marquee game of bowl season. Typically, the Pac-12/Big Ten showdown would occur in Pasadena, but this year it has been relocated to Dallas, a city famous for doing everything big. Under head coach Clay Helton, big games are starting to become commonplace again at Troy. The Trojans can take the lessons learned from the Rose Bowl and Pac-12 Championship, and maybe even more importantly, the belief from winning those games, and apply them to this year's final exam.
