As the clock struck zero at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 26, 2016, two storied football programs found themselves in vastly different positions at the close of the regular season.
Following a 1-3 start to the campaign (including a 52-6 beat down at the hands of Alabama), USC extended an improbable win streak to eight games due to a roster loaded with NFL talent and the emergence of Sam Darnold as one of the best college football players in America.
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On that night, the 45-27 victory over intersectional rival Notre Dame was the crown jewel of Clay Helton’s first season as the head coach of the Trojans.