INDIANAPOLIS — Several days removed from a humbling loss to his crosstown rival, USC head coach Lincoln Riley called backup quarterback Miller Moss into his office. A 38-20 home defeat to UCLA on Nov. 18 saddled the Trojans with their fifth setback in six games, ransacking a once-promising campaign that remained unblemished through mid-October. The unraveling had cost them the chance to compete for a Pac-12 championship and national championship alike. And while USC would eventually be invited to the Holiday Bowl against No. 15 Louisville, there was nothing left to play for in the broader sense.
A rudderless conclusion meant star quarterback Caleb Williams — who was, at that time, still the reigning Heisman Trophy winner — had made a business decision to skip the…
