LOS ANGELES — As the final seconds ticked away, taking with them any last hope of the College Football Playoff, Caleb Williams looked up at the clock in Las Vegas last Friday, his eyes welling with tears. USC's quarterback had given everything to that point. He'd carried the Trojans as they climbed rung by rung from 4-8 disaster to 11-1 contender over the past year, dancing and dazzling his way to one of the most dominant seasons the school had ever seen, a campaign so special it's likely to win him the Heisman Trophy.
But it wasn't enough. Not tonight, at least. Not while Utah's pressure bore down and the searing pain in his hamstring sapped him of his usual magic. Williams tried his best to hide the limp, to convince himself and everyone else there was nothing wrong, though deep down he knew there was. He said he tried to channel Kobe Bryant, reciting over and over in his head that the game was bigger than whatever he was feeling.
But it was no use. With one minute remaining, Williams stared up at the scoreboard as he hopped to the sideline — 47-24. A season's worth of feelings swelled to the surface. He thought of all they'd done to get here — and how close they'd come. He thought of center Brett Neilon, who'd just been carted away, his college career now over due to injury. He thought of all the relationships he'd built during the past 10 months after transferring from Oklahoma to USC.
