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The dark clouds had parted. The rain, after soaking L.A. for more than a day, had slowed.

By that point, at the start of a stellar, second-half turnaround Saturday, all hope of a College Football Playoff bid for USC had nearly washed away in a first-half downpour.

But that’s precisely when USC found its silver lining, with Makai Lemon scorching his way across the end zone, calling for the ball. All season, Lemon had made the big plays whenever the Trojan offense needed him. But no performance from its top wideout was bigger than Saturday, as Lemon came alive in the second half, helping deliver USC a 26-21 win over Iowa that would keep its playoff hopes intact for another week

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