In case you missed it … well, there's no way you could have missed that.
No. 8 USC flopped in a 24-7 loss to No. 5 Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday, and quarterback Sam Darnold became an instant target for criticism. No social media shot was off limits when it came to Darnold, who finished 26 of 45 passing for 356 yards but committed three turnovers and took eight sacks in the loss.
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There were tweets about his looks ...
Sam Darnold looks like the better-looking version of Buzz McCallister" from Home Alone pic.twitter.com/O3KRzbfYAC
— Chelsa Messinger (@ChelsaMessinger) December 30, 2017
... mechanics …
Sam Darnold got ALL the Pro tools but he need another year to polish his mechanics.. Lock Top 5 pick tho gone be hard to pass up
— Free Surf (USC PAC 12 🏆)(Saints 11-4)(UK 9-2) (@K_Willis7) December 6, 2017
... and, of course, the 2018 NFL Draft and Cleveland Browns:
Sam Darnold trying his best not to be drafted by the browns.
— collinsTM (@collinstm) December 30, 2017
Jumble those tweets into thousands of combinations, and that's what Darnold's night looked like after a first half in which he was 12 of 22 for 170 yards and accounted for two of USC's three turnovers. Ohio State led 24-7 by halftime. Darnold was trending by that point, and discussions about his looks, mechanics and his 2018 NFL Draft stock were spinning out of control. How much of that was fair?
Sam Darnold is playing poorly...The protection is horrendous...The WR's are jogging and have no urgency...The offensive game plan is painfully predictable...other than that USC is playing fine
— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) December 30, 2017
That's the problem. USC put too much on Darnold on this season, and it showed in losses at Washington State and Notre Dame. The Trojans weren't good enough to be a playoff team, and Darnold threw 12 interceptions and lost six fumbles coming into the game. He turned the ball over too much, and that's the criticism that matters. It didn't matter as much when he led the Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory in 2016. Darnold threw for 31 touchdowns and nine interceptions with five lost fumbles.
Add it up, and it's 35 turnovers in two seasons as a starter. That's too many. Sure, Clemson's Deshaun Watson threw 17 interceptions in 2016, but he also led the Tigers to the national championship. Darnold didn't do that, and he has the label of "turnover-prone" at this point. That's the one thing he needs to change more than anything else, and it's not going to be easier in the NFL. You can't excuse interceptions and fumbles with "trying to make a play" forever.
The same story unfolded against the Buckeyes. Darnold made some plays against Ohio State, like this one on third-and-17 in the third quarter.
That's a great play by Sam Darnold pic.twitter.com/rsSh2Iic52
— Bill Bender (@BillBender92) December 30, 2017
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That drive, however, was snuffed out later by a Sam Hubbard sack. Darnold faced a pass rush that USC couldn't handle collectively, and that was the biggest difference in the Cotton Bowl. The eight sacks contributed to those turnovers more than anything else.
But this loss will fall on Darnold, whose incredible play-making ability is overshadowed by his ball security issues. That's the biggest question when trying to evaluate what should come next.
It doesn't matter what he looks like. The mechanics talk tends to get out of control, and the Browns are going to probably going to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 pick no matter what. The other candidates for that spot — UCLA's Josh Rosen, Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield — have just as many question marks as Darnold, albeit in different areas.The NFL Draft process will come after Rosen for not living up to expectations at UCLA, Jackson for his 57.4 completion percentage and Mayfield for his maturity.
There is no clear-cut winner, and opinions will vary like they always do. Remember, Watson was drafted behind Mitchell Trubisky and Pat Mahomes II in the 2017 NFL Draft. Darnold certainly didn't clear anything up against the Buckeyes to make himself the No. 1 pick.
Does that mean Darnold should stay in school for another year? Probably not, but it wouldn't be a complete surprise if he did. If Darnold does go to the NFL, then the performance against Ohio State should be a footnote. Remember, these games are supposedly meaningless, right? The Buckeyes were simply the better team.
Darnold, meanwhile, has the skill set and the arm. He has no visible character concerns. But it doesn't matter if it's Cleveland or another team. The protection won't be great, and he can't turn the ball over at the next level if he wants to be successful. Darnold's biggest issue resurfaced on the biggest stage, and it doesn't matter where he plays next season.
That criticism will stick until he fixes it.
