Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain produced the decisive play in the Buckeyes' 19-15 victory at Indiana, blitzing untouched off the edge to strip-sack quarterback Josh Hoover and force a fumble that Ohio State recovered. The play came after the defending national champions declined a 45-yard field goal attempt while trailing 13-7 in the third quarter, and it snapped the nation's longest winning streak at 22 games. It marked the first sack and forced fumble of McClain's three-year college career.
Family History Repeats
Twenty-four years earlier, McClain's father Maurice made a similarly clutch play for Syracuse: an interception on the first snap of Virginia Tech's third overtime possession that sealed a 50-42 upset. That was the senior's first career interception after returning from a broken leg just two weeks prior. The family connection extends to the coaching staff: Syracuse's defensive backs coach in 2002 was Tim Walton, now McClain's secondary coach at Ohio State, while graduate assistant Matt Patricia is now the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator. Maurice McClain described Patricia as unchanged — "the guy that when he saw a player down, he'd pick him back up" — and Walton as having evolved from fiery to "more like a teacher, if anything. He's a life coach."
Quarterback Uncertainty Ahead of USC
Ohio State may be without starting quarterback Julian Sayin for the remainder of the season after he injured his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter at Indiana. Coach Ryan Day had not named a starter as of Tuesday for Saturday night's game at USC, with a decision looming between freshman Luke Fahey, who finished the Indiana game, and Tavien St. Clair. Either would attempt to become the fourth Ohio State quarterback since 2000 to win his first career start in a true road game, and the first since C.J. Stroud in 2021. Sayin's absence increases pressure on Heisman Trophy frontrunner Jeremiah Smith and a rebuilt defense with eight new starters.
Defense Faces Stern Test Against USC
Patricia's defense, which allowed an FBS-low 9.3 points and 219.1 yards per game in 2025, entered the bye week allowing 13.4 points per game (tied for fifth nationally) and a nation-best 5.2 yards per pass attempt. None of Ohio State's three October opponents scored more than 15 points on offense. The Buckeyes (6-1, 4-0 Big Ten) have won 13 straight regular-season conference games, with their only loss a 24-23 defeat at Texas in September. USC (6-2, 3-2) arrives after a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin in which the Trojans rushed for minus-17 yards, but Day called them "as talented a team as I've seen on film." Lincoln Riley's offense averages 303.6 passing yards per game, second in the Big Ten, and quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown a touchdown pass in 13 straight games.
McClain Emerges as Defensive Leader
Through seven games, the junior has 32 tackles, two interceptions, four pass breakups, a sack and a forced fumble. Crucially, he has forced a turnover in all three games against ranked opponents: interceptions at Texas and Iowa, then the strip-sack at Indiana. This week he was named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, won last year by former teammate Caleb Downs. "I feel as though he's the same player. It's just that now he's being seen," Maurice McClain said. "I always said that when I watched Caleb Downs at Alabama, I always told people they had the same type of game. But now it's just that people actually had an opportunity to see him play."
Defensive prowess runs in the family: Jaylen's younger brothers KJ (safety at Tennessee) and Cameron (defensive end at Seton Hall Prep) also play defense. As Jaylen put it: "It's cool to score touchdowns, but the dark side is better."
