In the high-stakes chase for a College Football Playoff berth, the USC head honcho Lincoln Riley faces familiar pressure. As the USC battles for a long-awaited playoff dream, the echoes of Pete Carroll’s bold lobbying era resurface, raising the question: Will Riley need a similarly dramatic, last-minute push to secure the Trojans’ postseason spot?

The desperation for making it to the playoffs is not new in college football; the debate of Big Ten vs. SEC has been going on since Pete Carroll’s era. Remembering how long it’s been, analyst Scott Van Pelt makes a bold admission during his conversation with Lincoln Riley, saying, “I’m pretty sure one of your predecessors, I think Pete Carroll, like, literally phoned into SportsCenter one night trying to politic for USC; there were only two spots.” This now puts Lincoln Riley in the position of being skeptical of how far he can go this year to give his team a playoff run.

“With the Big 10 and the SEC that have jumped out in front—not to say there are not other good teams and other conferences, there certainly are, but the level of competition that you get week in and week out in these two leagues is just different, and these things take care of themselves. You’ll play your way in it. If you’re worthy, and we’re excited about our opportunity to get a chance to go prove it,” Riley said while appearing on ESPN.

Even if Lincoln Riley isn’t taking the pressure, their playoff path is still very complicated. USC kept its playoff hopes alive after a big win against Northwestern. But going up against Oregon and playing a home game against Iowa won’t be that easy for them.

However, here’s the thing: if USC and Michigan both win their remaining games, the Wolverines’ win against No. 1 Ohio State will give them a significant advantage in the selection. Then, adding to USC’s woes, their loss against Notre Dame could hurt them in tiebreakers and comparisons against Michigan.

With USC teams like BYU, Georgia Tech, Miami, Vanderbilt, and Utah are all in contention. And most of them will still face tough opponents, and it’s very unlikely that they’ll stay at one loss. But USC can benefit, as ACC and Big 12 teams don’t look that strong. So, now it all depends on their high-value win against Iowa and Oregon.

But the weather might be a deal breaker for them.

Lincoln Riley’s team faces a major weather adversity

The only thing that can come in the USC Trojans’ championship way is the weather. That’s exactly why Lincoln Riley is getting his team ready for heavy rain at the Coliseum. The forecast predicts nonstop showers throughout the game, with one to two inches of rain expected.

Now, because of the rainy weather, Riley is focusing mainly on ball security, which can cause fumbles and bad throws. “I think you got to be aware of it from a just ball security standpoint. Obviously, holding on to a football that is wet is different. It’s still very doable, but you got to be really good with your ball security,” Lincoln Riley said.

On top of that, he is also keeping an eye on who’s better off without gloves and who’s good with them. Lincoln Riley is not taking any chances this time, as rainy weather has already affected the play calling against Notre Dame. Of their nine games this season, the Trojans went in for two games in the rain and one in cold weather, among which they won two of the games.

But rain has not been their buddy so far.  Their win is crucial for making it to the playoffs; let’s see how Riley’s squad navigates the weather this time.