That familiar doubt was swirling, those same vultures circling, the most critical juncture of its so-far charmed season closing in suddenly on USC, as Tahj Eaddy caught a pass at the top of the key Monday night, prepared to exorcise decades worth of demons on his own.
He and the Trojans had bounced back from deflating defeats before this season. But never were the stakes this high, with the Pac-12 race in a dead heat, or the turnaround this quick, with only one day between their tough loss to Arizona and a suddenly rescheduled matchup with Oregon.