Sweet 16: Hypothetical 16-team College Football Playoff
By Brad Weiss
The Penn State Nittany Lions and USC Trojans came into their Final Four game as arguably the two hottest teams in the country. If you would have told anybody that these two teams would be two of the four remaining teams in college football after Week 3 of the regular season, you would have been laughed at. Well, both programs have been led by stellar quarterback play over the past two and half months, and it is a shame that one team had to see their season end.
That team was Penn State, who just ran out of magic against the Trojans in this one. Trace McSorley struggled to get it going in the passing game early on, as Adoree’ Jackson took away Chris Godwin throughout the first half. By the time Nittany Lions got on the board, they were already down 10 but were well within striking distance. USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns in the first half of this one, cruising to a 24-7 halftime lead.
Like they have done all season, Penn State came out of the gates firing on all cylinders in the second half, quickly putting two touchdowns on the board thanks to some tough running by Saquon Barkley. The two teams went into the final frame with the score 24-21, setting the stage for another incredible finish for the USC Trojans. Down 35-31 with two minutes left, Darnold orchestrated an incredible drive, which was capped by a Ronald Jones two-yard score. Penn State got the ball back with 0:20 second left, but the Nittany Lions magic ran out with the clock.