Players from both sidelines had to be separated after a heated pregame exchange ahead of the Big Ten matchup in Los Angeles.
Tempers flared before a snap was even taken Saturday at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where USC hosted second-ranked Ohio State. A video circulating on social media shows players from both teams getting into a heated exchange that required staff and teammates to step in and separate them.
The incident capped a tense buildup to a game with plenty on the line. Ohio State arrived off a bye week looking to extend its winning streak after knocking off CFP titleholder Indiana, while USC came in looking to snap a rough patch following a loss at Wisconsin.
The shoving and shouting match didn't delay kickoff, but it set an edgy tone for a matchup between a Big Ten contender chasing history and a Trojans team trying to right the ship. No penalties or ejections tied to the scuffle have been reported.