Keyshawn Johnson has watched USC football through good years and bad ones. He knows what the program looks like when it has a team capable of chasing a national championship, and he knows what it feels like when expectations keep getting pushed into the next season.
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After USC’s loss to Wisconsin last weekend, the former Trojans All-American receiver was furious with what he saw. A week later, with No. 2 Ohio State coming to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Johnson sounded less angry than exhausted.
“I’m not nervous. I really don’t at this point,” Johnson said on ESPN Los Angeles on October 31. “I really don’t give it a da-n, to be honest with you. I really don’t care.”
USC entered its October 24 game at Wisconsin with a chance to build momentum after beating Penn State. Instead, the Trojans left Madison after a 24-7 defeat that raised fresh questions about Riley’s offense and the team’s ability to compete against quality opposition.
The seven points were the fewest scored by a Riley-coached team at USC. The Trojans managed only one touchdown, QB Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions, and the offensive line allowed five sacks.
To make matters worse, USC finished with minus-17 rushing yards after accounting for the yardage lost on sacks. Johnson didn’t hide his reaction. In a video posted to social media on October 25, he mocked the performance.
“We really just lost to Wisconsin,” he said. “Not only did we lose, we got run out of the building.” He also questioned the offensive identity Riley has brought to Los Angeles.
Johnson’s criticism quickly moved beyond the players and coaches on the field. He called on athletic director Jen Cohen, university administrators, and the people financing the program to confront what he sees as a larger problem.
“Tough decisions have got to be made,” Johnson said in his October 25 video. “I respect you. I like you (Lincoln Riley). You’re cool with me. But it ain’t working out, man.”
He even suggested that USC consider Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell, whose team had just dominated the Trojans. Johnson stopped short of laying out a formal plan for replacing Lincoln Riley, but his message was unmistakable.
“A lot was taken out of me last Saturday, so you know, they lost me last Saturday,” Johnson said on ESPN today. “Obviously. I want to win the game if we can, but nothing gives me hope or belief that we’re going to win the game.”
After Johnson’s remarks, reports put Riley’s potential buyout at roughly $70 million. USC would face a hefty bill if it decided to fire him, though the final amount would depend on the terms of his contract and how he left the job.
So, Ohio State is a brutal test for a team trying to recover.
Ohio State is 6-1 and sits second in the national rankings heading into its trip to Los Angeles. The Buckeyes have not lost since falling 24-23 to Texas in September, putting together five consecutive wins.
They added another to that run last time out, beating Indiana 19-15 on the road after keeping the Hoosiers’ offense in check. USC is 6-2 and 3-2 in Big Ten play. Its offense has averaged 32.8 points per game, with Maiava throwing for 2,302 yards and 19 touchdowns through eight games.
Those numbers show that the Trojans have been productive for much of the season, even if the latest performance has shaken confidence in the unit. The problem is that Ohio State’s defense has been far more consistent.
The Buckeyes enter the weekend allowing just 13.4 points and 261 total yards per game. USC will also have to contend with an Ohio State offense that averages 39.3 points per contest, even though starting quarterback Julian Sayin is expected to miss the game with a throwing-arm injury.
USC has a chance to take advantage of the injury, but it will need to fix several problems of its own. The offensive line must give Maiava more time, the running game has to produce, and the quarterback cannot afford to keep giving the ball away.
On the other side, USC’s defense has to put Ohio State’s new quarterback under pressure early. If the Buckeyes can lean on their defense and run the ball without much resistance, the Trojans could spend the night chasing the game.
One defeat would not decide Lincoln Riley’s future at USC. Another poor showing, though, would leave him with more questions to answer and give frustrated fans another reason to doubt where the program is headed.