Ohio State looks to change the tide against USC

COLUMBUS, Ohio- When people talk about big college football programs, there are not too many football programs bigger than Ohio State or USC. It is not very often that the Trojans and the Buckeyes clash, but when each team does, it usually is for big stakes.

“You have two tradition-rich programs,” fifth-year center Billy Price said. “I mean they are extremely rich and I think that the series, I saw a couple of statistics, USC leads the series and stuff, so you have a rich tradition playing USC.”

Now, even without a national championship in its grasps, Ohio State does have something to play for. The Buckeyes have an opportunity to get back on the winning side of this historic rivalry.

In 23 total matchups between these two programs, Ohio State has won nine games. However, its last win over USC came on January 1st, 1974 in the 60th Rose Bowl, defeating the Trojans 42-21. Starting with the 61st Rose Bowl in 1975, Ohio State is now looking to end a seven-game losing streak to USC, last falling to the Trojans in a 18-15 regular season loss in 2009.

Also, this will be the first time that the Buckeyes will face the Trojans in a bowl game not named the Rose Bowl in this matchup’s history. For 16 years, this Rose Bowl matchup was practically perennial, with each of these teams meeting up in Pasadena, California six times from 1969 to 1985. In the last three editions of this matchup in bowl season, the final score was by a margin of at most three points.

RELATED: Ohio State vs. USC through the years

Much of these matchups occurred before any of the players were involved with the Ohio State or USC football programs. Defensive end Sam Hubbard said that he remembers watching clips of players, including former Trojan safety Taylor Mays, back when USC last played Ohio State in 2009.

Even though there is some historical context to this matchup, Hubbard is more focused on the current matchup between two conference champions.

“USC is a historically great program. It’s Pac-12 champs versus Big Ten champs,” Hubbard said. “I think it’s a great matchup and we are fortunate to be in the game.”

According to the players, Ohio State really has not gotten to specifically preparing for USC yet during bowl practice. Wide receiver Parris Campbell said that he and his teammates will become aware of the history of this rivalry over time when coaches start to introduce game plans. However, that does not change the mentality of this matchup for him.

“At the end of the day, I think every guy on this team knows whenever Ohio State is in a game, it’s a big time matchup,” Campbell said.

There is no shortage of things for Ohio State to play for. For Price, it is many things, from representing the Big Ten conference to the best of his ability to limiting the hype of highly recognized and touted quarterback Sam Darnold. On the historic side of things, he said that it will be a challenge for Ohio State to record its first win against the Pac-12 champion since the 1974 Rose Bowl.

For safety Damon Webb, that is the only storyline he will need heading into the matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Definitely have to change that,” Webb said.