The 8th ranked USC Trojans, with quarterback Sam Darnold, met the 5th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, with quarterback J.T. Barrett, in the 2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday, December 29, 2017 (12/29/17) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Check the scoreboard above for the final score and click on the stats link for game stats.
Here's the AP recap:
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- If Sam Darnold returns to the home of the Dallas Cowboys in four months, he figures to leave feeling a bit better than after a rough night in the Cotton Bowl.
Darnold threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown , lost two fumbles on sacks and misfired on several other throws in No. 8 Southern California's 24-7 loss to fifth-ranked Ohio State on Friday night.
A third-year sophomore, Darnold is projected as a possible top overall pick in the NFL draft, which will be held at AT&T Stadium in late April. If he's the first one on stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, that'll be a better look than a quiet walk off the field as Ohio State players celebrated.
In the locker room, Darnold hugged cornerback-receiver Keyshawn "Pie" Young after signing Young's No. 15 jersey, which had other signatures as well. The 20-year-old Darnold remained noncommittal on his future.
"Talking to my family, talking to coaches, people who have been in my position before," Darnold said. "That's kind of how I'll go about it."
If Darnold declares for the draft, he figures to be gone by the time the Denver Broncos are on the clock. Still, general manager John Elway and former coach Gary Kubiak, one of their scouts, were in the press box.
The NFL evaluators will have to overlook Darnold's showing against the Buckeyes. While he threw for 356 yards -- his eighth 300-yard game of the season -- Darnold was just 26-of-45 passing. With the two lost fumbles, he's tied for the FBS lead with 22 turnovers.
"I think I'm really just focused on just hanging out with my teammates for the next couple of days and really just saying bye to the seniors because they've put together such a great season," Darnold said. "It's tough. I'll look at everything and make my decision after that."
Darnold threw into double coverage on a short route, and Damon Webb jumped the throw and returned the interception untouched 28 yards for a 17-0 Ohio State lead early in the second quarter.
The Buckeyes made it 24-0 later in the second two plays after Darnold was hit from behind as he tried to escape a collapsing pocket. On the second fumble, Darnold was hit as he threw. Both times, the Trojans were inside the Ohio State 25.
Darnold almost threw another interception that could have been returned for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half. The desperate toss from the end zone to avoid a safety went off the hands of a leaping Kendall Sheffield, who was alone on the sideline inside the 20.
"I don't think one game can define Sam Darnold, because if you watch film, you know he's the best quarterback around," receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. "Disappointing? Yes, for our seniors. But for us young guys, we're going to take this and move on and get better."
Coach Clay Helton said his discussions with Darnold will include where he's projected to get taken along with what the quarterback has left to play for with the Trojans, who finished 11-3 in a season that started with national title hopes.
"We've got plenty of time," Helton said. "We'll let this one sink in. This one hurts a little bit, but we'll sit as a family. He's a good man, and he'll make the best decision for him and his family."
His receivers seemed prepared for the decision to go either way.
"These past three years have been amazing," said Deontay Burnett, who led USC with 12 catches for 139 yards. "Whatever decision he makes is going to be a great decision for him. But I thought he was a warrior today. He battled, even with adversity."
Here's what you need to know:
Who: USC vs. Ohio State
What: Cotton Bowl Classic
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
When: Friday, Dec. 29, 2017
Time: 8:30 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN
Livestream: WatchESPN
Line: Ohio State -7.5
Sam Darnold knows the speed of an NFL game is much faster than it appeared from the upper-level seats that he and his Southern California teammates had for a Dallas Cowboys game after arriving in North Texas for the Cotton Bowl.
What is still unclear is how quickly the All-Pac-12 Trojans quarterback could be playing at field level in the pros.
Darnold, a third-year sophomore, hasn't said yet if he will return to Pac-12 champion USC for another season or if the Cotton Bowl against fifth-ranked Ohio State will be his Trojans finale. He has to decide by Jan. 15 whether to make himself eligible for the next NFL draft, which will be held in late April in the same stadium where he will play Friday night.
"Obviously, I haven't been thinking about it a ton. I've been really focused on Ohio State. So I think after the bowl game, honestly, I'll be able to give a better answer," Darnold said Wednesday during his media session at the Cotton Bowl. "But I think just looking at all the factors, I can't really pinpoint anything specifically."
In two seasons with the Trojans, though he didn't become the starter until the fourth game in 2016 on way to a Rose Bowl title, Darnold has thrown for 6,873 yards with 57 touchdowns and 21 interceptions while completing 65 percent of his passes. Often considered just a prototypical drop-back passer, he has also run for 350 yards and seven scores.
The kid who has always dreamed of playing in the NFL is expected to be a top pick if he leaves USC early. Darnold said his decision on whether to go or stay won't be impacted by which NFL team might chose him.
"It's been such a dream of mine to play in the NFL that whether I go or whether I stay at USC, to be able to have the opportunity to even play in the NFL and achieve that dream of mine is something that I've always looked at," Darnold said. "And for an organization to put their trust in me to be able to go out there and play football for them, I think any opportunity to play for anyone would be amazing and something that I've always dreamed of."
While Darnold expects it to be a hard decision, he believes he will be able to say he made the right decision -- no matter what that is.
USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin describes Darnold as a "quarterback's quarterback" who will be ready for the NFL whenever he decides to go.
"Ultimately at the end of the day, he wants to win. He's an extreme competitor," Martin said. "I think he does like being in college. It might be one of those heartstring things, where, 'Hey we made it to the Cotton Bowl, we did great. But can we do better? Can I play better?' If that's the case, then you'll see him coming back.
"If he feels it's the right situation, or the right timing for the right organization on the next level, he may make the decision to leave," he said.
Before that Cowboys game on Sunday, when they were eliminated from playoff contention in a loss to Seattle, Darnold hadn't attended an NFL game since going to see the Chargers as a young kid.
It was only three years ago that USC coach Clay Helton was in Darnold's living room recruiting him to the Trojans.
"Life is kind of moving really fast right now," Darnold said. "I've made some big decisions, and coming to USC was one of them. And it was a really great decision. So I think whatever decision I make by Jan. 15 is going to be a great decision, too."
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)