Ohio State head coach Ryan Day declined to announce a starter prior to the Trojans’ 30-18 upset of the then-No. 2 Buckeyes, and now Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is keeping the same information under wraps for his own team.

It’s a small concern for USC after it limited Ohio State to 260 passing yards, which was well below its average of 320.2.

“It’s an attitude; it’s a program culture thing,” said head coach Lincoln Riley, whose Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) were ranked 18th in the latest College Football Playoff poll. “Do you let the outside world or things that are out of our control overly affect how you play? Or do you just have a standard of play that you expect to do, no matter who you play against or no matter who’s the quarterback?”

Hoover was not on Thursday’s Big Ten availability report, and Cignetti declined to name the starter when speaking with reporters on Monday.

“We’ll see how the week plays out, and we’ll see who we trust out there,” he said.

A mystery starting quarterback could benefit the Trojans’ defense.

Knowing who will be on the other side of the line of scrimmage isn’t the Trojans’ only unknown at this point in the season.

They remain in a precarious position in the CFP rankings. Analysts currently project them to play in a bowl game, but winning out in a convincing way could clear the path to a playoff bid.

“It’s honestly just embracing the situation and embracing the fact that no matter who trots out there, we need to go play well,” Riley said. “We need to embrace the challenge of not knowing and then I think you’ve also got to understand that also provides some advantages for us, too.”

When Indiana has the ball

Regardless of whether it’s Hoover or Wilson who gets the start, the defending national champions will be looking downfield for deep-threat receivers Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh, who average 97.2 and 74.3 yards per game, respectively.

Wilson adds more to the running game than Hoover, and it’s unclear what approach Indiana will use on the ground now that leading running back Turbo Richard is listed as “out” on the Big Ten availability report.

The other half of the Hoosiers’ rushing attack is Lee Beebe Jr., who averages 79.4 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.

Indiana has had some of its lowest-scoring games as of late, totaling 16 points or fewer in its three most recent games against No. 20 Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota. The games against the latter two both went into overtime.

USC’s defense will likely apply pressure early, especially up front, against a depleted rushing attack and a quarterback who is either dealing with a nagging injury or a lack of experience.

When USC has the ball

USC’s offense thrives on quarterback Jayden Maiava’s short and intermediate passes to receivers Trent Mosley (4) and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and tight end Mark Bowman, three freshmen who have proved that they can turn a screen pass into a chunk play.

The Trojans’ passing attack is especially efficient on third down, converting on 49.5% of third-down situations.

Indiana’s defense is fourth-best in the conference against the pass, allowing 183.7 yards per game, and its bread and butter is its run defense, which allows a conference-low 75.6 yards per game.

Linebacker and second-leading tackler Rolijah Hardy is listed as questionable on the Big Ten availability report, but the Hoosiers have another aggressive defender in defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi (15.5 TFL, 10 sacks).

They’ll try to shut down USC’s running game early and force the game onto Maiava’s arm. Getting through the Trojans’ offensive line might be difficult, as they’ve allowed just 13 sacks in nine games.

What’s at stake? This is the biggest game on the Big Ten football schedule this weekend because of its potential impact on both teams’ chances of making the 12-team College Football Playoff. Indiana was the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind undefeated UCLA, in the latest CFP poll at No. 9 and USC was slotted at No. 18. A win for the Trojans would catapult them closer to a top 12 spot.

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