It was just before noon on Jan. 15 when a single emoji from USC football’s official Twitter account whipped an entire fan base into a frenzy.
It was posted without explanation. For an hour, it sat unexplained, inspiring message board threads and festering in the deepest, most paranoid recesses of USC’s fan base. But considering the context, the emoji’s arrival at that particular moment certainly appeared as if it were packed with meaning. Fans were already on pins and needles, awaiting word on whether college football’s most coveted transfer was coming to USC.