Southern California entered the Pac-12 championship game with expectations of a College Football Playoff berth. It lost in a rout, and gave new hope to teams like Ohio State and Alabama.
LAS VEGAS — As the evening began, Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams danced away from Utah defenders and delivered darts all over the field, threatening to turn next week’s Heisman Trophy ceremony into a coronation and the rest of Friday night’s Pac-12 Conference championship game into a parade toward the playoff.