Lincoln Riley, the USC Trojans head coach, joined the program starting from the 2022 season. His first season was quite good, considering they lost 2 games in the regular season (one was a Pac-12 championship rematch against Utah) and their bowl game loss against Tulane. Things started to look promising, and people remembered what Riley had said in his opening press conference about where he was coming from.
“History and tradition of one of the greatest college football programs of all time, the city, the Mecca of sports right here in Los Angeles… I knew it was the right thing“. But, ever since that 2022 season, Riley has always felt short on his promise. The 2023 season was no good, as they finished 8-5 in the PAC-12. Then came the 2024 season, and in his first season in Big10, they worsened on their previous season record and finished 7-6.
Questions started to pour in, if Riley is even the person he promises to be. Or he even deserves to be in that head coach seat. There could be several answers to these questions, but the concern is just one: Riley needs to make an immediate change or face the axe. Tom Hannifan, speaking on the ‘college football addiction’ podcast, gave even a more harsh perspective.
Hannifan was asked about the most overrated coaches in college football right now by co-host TJ Pittinger. He first mentioned Sherrone Moore taking the first spot in his list and then expanded on why Lincoln Riley has also made his list. “I think Lincoln Riley has to be in this mix. Because if you’re talking about Ring chasing, well, he’s not there and it’s like: yeah you’re getting Heisman that’s great It’s like winning the MVP in the NBA but then doing absolutely nothing in the postseason. Congratulations to Lincoln Riley, and he might be out of USC within the next year or two, so yeah that’s a tough one.” But why so harsh a take?
Well, for starters, Riley had an appalling defense last season where we saw games slipping out of USC’s grasp just because the defense didn’t perform well. Take, for example, that 63-yard run USC allowed when playing against Michigan, which sparked a comeback for the Wolverines. Or how about the fourth-quarter dying minutes touchdowns allowed against Minnesota or a touchdown that tied scores against Penn State when USC was leading. If stats are to be referenced, then it looks uglier.
USC allowed 24.1 points per game, which ranks them 46th nationally. They allowed 377.1 yards per game in total, which ranks them 65th nationally. Add that to their 111th rank nationally in interceptions conceded, which explains their high turnovers. However, don’t think for a moment that only defense is the culprit. The offense also didn’t quite supplement when their defensive players were down with injuries for the better part of the season. For instance, the offense could have won the tightly contested Penn State game but failed to deliver a tie-breaking score. Then comes their quarterback problem.
Potential QB1 contender for Jayden Maiava?
Well, last year, Lincoln Riley trusted Jayden Maiava with quarterback duties after Miller Moss just wasn’t cutting in games. Maiava followed up the mantle with utmost responsibility as in the 4 games he started, USC lost just the Notre Dame game. And, people may take it with high levels of criticism due to the sheer amount of history and rivalry involved. But, Notre Dame was just spectacular last season, and any team would have struggled against them. The question now is: Will Maiava be USC’s QB1?
Well, the question may look odd at first glance, but the Trojans have acquired a generational prodigy in their 2025 class. Yes, we are talking about Husan Longstreet, who as a 5-star prospect, is consistently rated above 97.50 on On3. He certainly promises a lot considering he had acquired 4,724 yards in his high school days and led his school to a runner-up place in Southern Section Division 2. The verdict?
Well, Lincoln Riley has a lot on his plate right now and if he fails to perform the sacking voices will only grow louder. Still, it wouldn’t be easy to fire the man since he has a whopping $90 Million buyout clause and a contract worth $110 Million. So, the question now is: Are USC Trojans bound to be stuck in an endless cycle of mediocrity?
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