Sam Darnold strode into a news conference following USC’s pounding in Friday’s Cotton Bowl under his own power. But he might as well have been carried in on a shield.
The Trojans’ quarterback committed three turnovers that led to two Ohio State touchdowns and was sacked eight times. But he didn’t stay down for long, dropping back to pass on more than half of his team’s offensive plays, flinging the ball into the Texas night until the clock mercifully ran out on USC’s season.
The question now becomes, has the clock run out on Darnold’s college career?