The Ohio State football team, playing without starting quarterback Julian Sayin, fell 30-18 to the USC Trojans at a rainy Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday night. It was the Buckeyes’ second loss of the season, introducing some peril concerning their playoff aspirations. Here are our three takeaways from Saturday’s game:

1.    Replacing Sayin was true freshman Luke Fahey. Fahey, who was returning to southern California where he attended high school, and he had a solid day. He was 21-38 for 260 yards and a score. The problem for the OSU offense was the ability to finish drives with touchdowns. The Bucks kicked four field goals – three in the first half and one at the beginning of the fourth quarter – and did not put the ball into the end zone until there was 2:12 left in the game. 

2.   In addition to failing to complete drives – the Buckeyes created more total offense than the Trojans, 464 to 338 yards – Ohio State was called for 11 penalties for a total of 71 yards, many of them coming at critical junctures in the game. OSU addecd one turnover when running back Isaiah West fumbled in the third quarter. There were also moments in the second half when it appeared that the Buckeyes were lacking urgency in their offensive possessions.

3.   It’s hard to have three takeaways from an Ohio State football contest without talking about Heisman hopeful Jeremiah Smith. On Saturday, the junior recorded the 40th touchdown of his career, breaking the Big Ten record for receiving scores. He moved past Michigan’s Braylon Edwards who caught his 39th in 2004. Smith also became the first player in Ohio State history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.