Lincoln Riley transitioned to the Big Ten and had a rough start, finishing with 6 regular-season wins. Going into the 2025 season, the critical voices grew even louder, questioning whether Riley deserves that $11.5 million annual salary. A prominent voice among them was ESPN College GameDay host Pat McAfee. But now that Riley sits at the cusp of playoff qualification, with the Oregon game being the decider, he has a stern reply.

The USC head coach appeared on a podcast episode for ‘USC Athletics’ and was asked about the mindset going into the Oregon game. “Yeah, a lot of hype around this one’s going to be a fun one. GameDay has been announced, will be there,” said the host. Not just that, the host also pointed out how the Oregon vs USC game would be a “national” spectacle in Week 13, owing to ESPN College GameDay’s presence. But the 42-year-old head coach had a straight reply to all of this.

Riley, after outlining the importance of the game, singled out GameDay, noting how the panel didn’t believe in his success throughout the season. “I mean, I think for us, these are all the same people who thought we were going to suck. Seriously, I mean, this is all the same people, what we were going to do this and USC was this and that. So, for us to pay attention to them now would be a little bit counterproductive,” said the Trojans’ head coach. GameDay hosts have surely had some harsh takes for USC throughout the season.

For instance, when USC visited Illinois on the road, most hosts picked USC to beat Illinois. However, Pat McAfee instead sided with Bret Bielema‘s team. Though his prediction did fare out at the end, as Illinois defeated USC 34-32, the criticism of Riley’s team was unexpected at the moment. As for the other analysts, like Kirk Herbstreit, the former Ohio State quarterback, has also sided against USC in the past.

For instance, when USC faced Michigan, Herbstreit sided with Michigan to win the game. “I think Michigan gets it done on the road,” said Herbstreit. Other hosts like Pat McAfee and Nick Saban also sided with Michigan, as McAfee touted Bryce Underwood’s quality. Not just that, but ESPN’s power index also placed USC at just a 21 percent chance of playoff qualification and just a 2.4% chance to win the Big 10. But USC’s fortunes have changed drastically now.

USC has a 10th-ranked passing offense in the country, accumulating 298.1 yards per game. The team also leads the country in contested catches, and Jayden Maiava is playing well. So, now, if USC beats Oregon, The Athletic’s Austin Mock’s model predicts a whopping 80% chance of USC’s playoff berth. That said, defeating Oregon would be a Herculean challenge in itself.

Can Lincoln Riley improve his defensive woes to overcome Oregon?

Oregon sits currently ahead of USC, with a 9-1 record, its only defeat coming against Curt Cignetti’s Indiana. The team also passed a gritty test against Iowa earlier this month and is coming after comfortably beating Minnesota. Not to mention, Dante Moore has an impressive 72.8% efficiency and has made some decent rushing plays (48). Moreover, the game is in Eugene at Autzen Stadium in an intimidating atmosphere. All of which can make life hard for Lincoln Riley.

CBS Sports’ Robby Kalland picked Oregon over USC and outlined the Trojans’ woeful defense. “For me, this comes down to which coach and which defense I trust more, and the answer to both of those questions is Oregon. This Oregon offense should have ample opportunity to get in the end zone,” predicted Kalland. The defense for USC is surely a concern, but in recent games, it has seen some resurgence.

USC is currently 47th nationally in total defense, giving up 344.1 yards per game. However, against a 21st-ranked Iowa, USC gave up 324 yards. Whereas, against Northwestern, the team gave up 280 yards. That surely shows USC has some firepower to limit Oregon’s 11th-ranked offense in the country. However, it still would be an uphill battle, and that’s why the Ducks are favored by 9.5 points.