Lincoln Riley on High Alert As $90M Safety Net Piles Misery on USC After Fresh Intel Confirms Worst Fears

Lincoln Riley has had two lackluster seasons at USC, putting the fans and veterans on a tremendous test of patience. A gut-wrenching memory of 8-5 in 2023 and 7-6 in 2024 still haunts the Trojans too much to even expect anything better in the upcoming season. Riley has seemingly reached his lowest point in his three-year coaching stint with the Trojans. The horrific defensive unit and the visible lack of grit made the Trojans choke up to the big team battle.

But this is the high time. USC’s experimental transition into the Big 10 will remain a luckless attempt if the program doesn’t resolve the matter at the soonest. But the problem stretches deeper.

USC’s Lincoln Riley bond seems to invite more trouble for the Trojans

Riley has been largely mediocre in his Trojans endeavor. You can argue that he had a stupendous resume. But all that success happened when he was coaching in Oklahoma. Even though Caleb Williams (no. 1 pick in 2024) traveled with Riley to Southern California and even won a Heisman while at USC, the success didn’t follow the duo. In 2023, much of the blame was put on a lackluster defense; Riley hired a new DC, and for a while, the Trojans fooled everyone into believing that their fortunes had changed. How? By defeating LSU.

However, Riley’s extreme struggle under pressure and the lack of proper decision-making have been a glaring issue in the Trojans’ blocked path to supremacy. A playoff snub for three consecutive seasons is enough for the veterans to think of an alternative. But the money and a significant contract intricacy get in the way.