CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- USC just showed Ohio State exactly how it needs to go about beating its rival.

Trojans walked away with a 31-13 win because it leaned into what it was good at, not what it hoped to one day be good at. From the get-go, it found creative ways to get the ball in the hands of its playmakers on the perimeter, starting with Makai Lemon, who caught nine of his 10 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. But it didn’t stop there.

Quarterback Jayden Maiva threw it 10 times in the first quarter. Then another eight times in the second quarter. He walked into halftime 15 of 18 for 181 yards and two touchdowns while the Trojans led 14-7. They ended up running it as much as they threw it to have the necessary balance, but those counting stats aren’t the point. They’ve never been the

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