With 1:59 left in the Rose Bowl, USC trailed Penn State 49-42. Linebacker Michael Hutchings, playing in his final game as a Trojan, had just given the team life by tackling Saquon Barkley for a loss of seven yards and forcing a punt.
After the ball rolled into the end zone, Sam Darnold would be tasked with getting 80 yards.
Eighty yards with the longest of odds.
No timeouts. Turf slicker than ice. A recent history of losing late games, rather than winning them.
All against a Penn State team with a knack for closing games with ferocious comebacks, not allowing them.