Caleb Williams and USC needed one win to likely lock in a spot in this year’s College Football Playoff.
For nearly 20 minutes against Utah in the Pac-12 championship game, it appeared the Trojans (11–2, 8–2 Pac-12) were on a mad dash to land one of the four coveted spots, and the Pac-12’s first appearance in the top four since 2017. Williams, who was coming off a massive performance against Notre Dame, looked primed for another breakout performance in his quest to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.
The Trojans jumped out to an early 14–3 lead before the Utes (9–3, 7–2 Pac-12) weathered the storm and tied the game at 17 going into halftime.