LOS ANGELES — As contenders fell and chaos reigned among the ruling class of college football, Tuli Tuipulotu stood amid the wreckage Saturday night with his arms raised in triumph. It wouldn’t be long before the triumph turned to feverish relief.
USC’s past two games had been difficult for its star defensive lineman — and the Trojans defense as a whole. More than 1,100 yards had been allowed. Nearly 40 tackles had been missed. A previously unblemished record and clear path to the College Football Playoff was lost in the process, raising further doubt about the trajectory of a Trojan defense struggling to stop anyone with so much as a pulse.
On a Saturday when three of the nation’s top six teams — No. 1 Tennessee, No. 4 Clemson and No. 6 Alabama — were topped dead in their tracks Saturday, USC nearly found itself among the many fallen contenders. What began as an impressive bounce-back performance for its defense nearly devolved into a nightmare before USC escaped with an 41-35 victory.
