If you advised USC followers earlier than the season that the eulogy for the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes wouldn’t be penned till after the convention title sport, their response would’ve been euphoric. Though the primary yr beneath Lincoln Riley led to disappointment — you don’t come a win away from the CFP and be ok with a loss regardless of how a lot home cash you might have on the desk — the comfort prize may very well be a Heisman Trophy for Caleb Williams.
The SC quarterback harm one thing — a “popped” hammy — early in opposition to the Utes throughout a slide on a 59-yard run, and all you might want to find out about his mobility as the sport floor alongside is that he completed with 21 yards speeding. He nonetheless completed with 363 by way of the air, and had the Trojans in putting distance at 27-24 within the fourth quarter — solely to observe because the protection didn’t sort out Utah ball carriers en path to a 47-24 victory for the Utes.
This was the sort of loss USC skeptics had been ready for all season. Timely turnovers bailed out a protection that hemorrhaged yards whereas Williams and the offense had been actually excellent. In the primary assembly between Utah and USC, Utes coach Kyle Whittingham opted to go for 2 and the win late within the sport as a result of that they had spent many of the night in Salt Lake City chasing Jordan Addison and co.
Had QB Cam Rising not run in that conversion, we might be speaking about whether or not the Trojans nonetheless deserve a bid. That didn’t occur although, and as quickly as Oregon misplaced to Oregon State, a rematch between the 2 appeared inevitable.
As somebody who will get nauseous on the considered Ohio State and Alabama displaying up in each CFP, I used to be instantly involved. Utah isn’t afraid of any program within the Pac-12 — the Utes are the defending convention champs in any case — and it confirmed in the best way it didn’t flinch when the Trojans bought out to a 17-3 lead early.
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Utah tied the sport on the half and by no means trailed once more after scoring early within the third quarter. Even after getting blasted on a authorized hit that despatched his helmet flying within the warmth of the second half, Rising saved coming. Utah completed with 533 complete yards, 223 of them on the bottom, to USC’s 419 with solely 59 within the trenches.
Southern Cal’s effectiveness within the run sport wasn’t the identical after the harm to working again Travis Dye, and it’s small discrepancies like depth that may be the distinction between a CFP look or an earthly bowl sport. Riley-led squads routinely overcame defenses that ranked someplace within the 60s at Oklahoma, and the Trojans had been proper round that quantity earlier than Friday’s 47-point, missed sort out fiasco.
With Williams ineligible for the draft till 2024 and greater than sufficient buzz to draw one other spherical of prime recruits and transfers, USC’s timeline is forward of even the most important homer’s schedule.
While that homer is certainly in his emotions after taking the L on Friday, those that despise the Trojan struggle track, “Fight On,” and all that bullshit higher take pleasure in this now as a result of if Riley bought this shut in his first go-round, the one actual soccer followers in L.A. aren’t going to be tolerable for an excessive amount of longer.