Josh Pate ended up hurting USC Trojans fans’ feelings. The analyst dropped Lincoln Riley’s name in the coaching swap talk, sparking fresh panic in L.A. Even though Riley tried to squash the rumors, his words couldn’t stop the narrative from spreading. Pate isn’t alone as multiple insiders are hinting that Riley is halfway out the door.

On the November 12th episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast, Josh Pate spoke about USC’s upcoming game against Iowa. At the end, he rounded it off with, “I hope everyone else understands how big a hinge moment this is for Lincoln. Because if they win it, it’s Super Bowl time…It’s playoff on the line… If they lose this Saturday, that’s a three-loss team almost inevitably headed for a fourth loss.”

The Trojans aren’t out of it yet. Sitting at 7-2 (5-1 Big Ten), they’ll need some scoreboard luck. But if they run the table against Iowa, Oregon, and UCLA, the Playoff door could crack open. But Iowa’s got the muscle in the trenches and USC’s shaky run defense (80th in yards per carry) might be easy pickings. Meanwhile, the weather forecast already dished out a trailer on what the conditions would be for the game between Riley’s boys and Kirk Ferentz’s squad. 

Rain is crashing the Coliseum party. It’s going be a soggy Saturday with temps around 63 and a 96% shot at heavy rain, says the National Weather Service. If things were already not hot enough in Riley’s squad, here comes some more from Pate. The big trio of Pate, Will Compton, and Taylor Lewan were back again to stir up some more fear. Even though Pate was careful, he dropped enough hints to keep the Trojans’ fans on edge. When asked whether he was hearing anything more about Riley and USC, the analyst confirmed, “Absolutely, I am. Hit me with the follow-up.”

Pate was oozing confidence. When the co-hosts pressed for answers, Pate was adamant. “I cannot tell you. Because in no world do I want to put myself through what I went through last week. But I will look at you. I will say, yes I am hearing stuff.” Then Pate whispered something while hiding his face behind a card, eliciting an immediate response. “And that’s what I am hearing. That’s what I am hearing. But I would never say that on air,” Pate finished. If that was not enough, Trey Wallace joined the party.

On an X post uploaded by @3ManFront, the reporter was heard saying, “I mentioned to you guys last week that there was going to be potentially a sitting head coach at a big school that looks around for a new stop. I keep hearing Lincoln Riley, guys. And I am not sitting here, don’t go crazy on social media posts that I am reporting Lincoln Riley to LSU.” But he went on to add, “But I am saying that his name is being brought up a lot. There’s no reason. He doesn’t need any more money at USC right now. He doesn’t need any more security with that job… I am not saying it would be LSU. But is there another job that might be out there?” Now the fans want answers.

Lincoln Riley’s attempt to tone down the heat

Back in 2021, Riley swore he wasn’t leaving Oklahoma after the loss to Oklahoma State, brushing off LSU rumors. And technically, he didn’t. He just packed for L.A. instead. Less than 24 hours later, Riley was introduced as USC’s new head coach. Since landing in SoCal, he’s gone 33-16 with the Trojans. Before that, he went 55-10 at OU with three Playoff trips and four Big 12 titles to his name.

With Pate dragging him into the head coaching carousel, Riley broke his silence. Adam Bradford quoted the head coach, “You guys know what I sacrificed to come here. I’m where I need to be.” The LSU gig stands tall as the crown jewel of openings, the lone Power 4 seat in a talent-loaded state. If Riley whiffs on the Playoffs, Baton Rouge might be the one place tempting enough to pull him away from the palm trees of L.A.

Lincoln Riley’s exact USC bag? Unknown. But insiders say it’s north of $11 million, which puts him right up there with the sport’s top players. So, money is never going to be the reason Riley hangs up his USC coaching boots. Now it is a waiting game. Will the analyst’s hot takes age like fine wine or will Riley prove he’s a man of his word?