USC prepares to slow Ohio State’s rushing identity, with Legend Bey at the center of the load

When USC eventually squares off with Ohio State, the storyline is not just talent on one side or the other. It is ball control, and how well USC can disrupt an Ohio State rushing game that, by design, keeps the offense on schedule. A new ESPN scouting-style preview, highlighted by Yahoo Sports, centers that pressure point by focusing on Ohio State’s running back Legend Bey and what he represents inside the Buckeyes’ run-first identity.

The preview frames USC’s assignment in simple terms, stop Ohio State from being able to control the ball through the ground game. That matters because rushing success changes the entire flow of a matchup. If a team can reliably generate rushing yards, it shortens the game for its quarterback by creating more manageable third downs. It also forces the opponent to keep extra defenders near the line of scrimmage, which can open things up later for play-action passing and tight-window runs.

At the player level, the ESPN look (as presented in the Yahoo Sports write-up) points to Legend Bey as Ohio State’s new back to watch. The wording emphasizes that scouting around Bey is tied directly to USC’s need to defend the run and prevent Ohio State from dictating possession. That makes Bey more than a single-game subplot. In a match-up like this, the question becomes whether Bey can consistently secure yards on first and second down, the downs that often determine whether an offense controls the pace.

USC’s challenge is heightened by how an opponent’s rushing attack can affect the entire defensive plan. When the run is working, defensive rotations tend to be stressed, linebackers and safeties have less margin for error, and tackling becomes more about assignment and gap discipline than isolated one-on-one plays. If USC’s front can’t slow Ohio State early, USC’s defense may find itself spending more time in third-and-long situations, where the offense can mix in chunk plays after establishing the run.

Ohio State, meanwhile, carries a predictable advantage when its rushing game gets rolling. The Buckeyes can use the threat of Bey’s running to hold the middle of the field, then vary the direction and the timing of carries. That variation is also why USC’s work has to start early in the down structure. The most important defensive stops in this matchup are often the first ones, because they can prevent Ohio State from converting second-down success into sustained drives.

What to watch next is the operational detail USC uses to confront the Buckeyes. The key indicators will be how quickly USC can recognize run packages, how well it maintains gap integrity at different run speeds and angles, and whether it can force Ohio State into situations where the offense has to abandon the run for long stretches.

Because this story is built around a scouting preview rather than a completed game report, some matchup specifics are inherently limited. The ESPN evaluation referenced by Yahoo Sports is best treated as a thematic read on how USC will be asked to respond to Bey and the Buckeyes’ rushing identity, not a guarantee of outcomes. The real test will come when the teams actually meet and the play-by-play data confirms whether USC can consistently prevent sustained, possession-driving runs.