- USC’s Cotton Bowl Loss Was a Wake-Up Call, and Not Just for Sam DarnoldSports Illustrated
- Sam Darnold’s Draft Dilemma Gets More Difficult After Ugly Cotton BowlBleacher Report
- Scouting Sam Darnold in Cotton Bowl: QB not up to challengeNFL.com
- Ohio State corner, likely high NFL draft pick Denzel Ward sits out Cotton BowlCincinnati.com