They say patience is a virtue. And for USC, patience seems to be finally paying off with Lincoln Riley. And three-time Super Bowl champion, Randy Cross, knows exactly who deserves the credit.

The College Football Hall of Famer showed faith in Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, ahead of their clash against Oregon, picking USC as his favorite for the next game. However, he noted that his answer would have been completely different if USC had not delivered the clutch performance in Iowa last week to stay in contention for the College Football Playoffs. “I’d have easily picked Oregon in this matchup, but this SC team, I think, is just a little different than the past ones. I think they come in, I think they win this game. Not easily, but they go in there and I don’t care if it’s raining, I don’t care if it’s sunny, SC is gonna win,” he said during CBS’s Inside College Football Show on October 18.

Oregon has been performing consistently this season with a stellar 9-1 record, where their only loss came against Indiana. However, the story has not been the same for USC. Even though they got off to a promising start, winning their first four games this season, they suffered embarrassing back-to-back losses against Illinois and Notre Dame, which dimmed their CFP hopes. However, Riley did not back down.

When the Trojans hired Lincoln Riley four years ago, they expected him to bring back USC Football to its former glory. Despite flashes of progress in the three seasons that followed, they did not attain the success they envisioned. Hence, patience became their only resort.

Riley had been putting in hard work. Since his arrival, he has been trying to change the program from its core. His decision to bring in defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and transform how they can make key plays on defense has been enough at times to pull off upsets. Bringing in QB Jaden Maiava in 2024 has also brought new zeal to the team, which has given the offense a much-needed push. And in the game against Iowa last week, it showed.

Riley’s guys played at a dominant level and delivered another second-half defensive clinic to take down Iowa 26- 21. Maiava tore through defense, completing 23 of 32 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown, while Makai Lemon was unstoppable with 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Even after delivering an overall masterclass, the Trojans hardly broke a sweat, making their way to become an easy favorite in the Oregon game.

Oregon HC Dan Lanning threatened by Lincoln Riley’s offense

Ahead of their clash on Saturday, Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning admitted that USC’s offense is something that he expects to pose a challenge. The Trojans’ stern performance in the last three games helped them improve to 8-2, and offensive coordinator Luke Huard’s hard work is one of the reasons why. In these games, we saw Maiava and the offense open up to get points on the board for the Trojans, especially in the second halves of the game.

Lanning exactly pointed out this as well, speaking about their QB majorly driving the game. “I think this is one of the best receiving cores we’ve seen since we’ve been here. And their quarterback is playing at a really high level as well. They have schemes that challenge you. They do a good job moving the guys around, making it tough to be able to figure out where they’re at. So, it’s a real challenge for us,” he said ahead of the matchup at Autzen Stadium.

While Lanning will focus on restricting Maiava’s offense, USC will have a major responsibility going into the game. It is set to be one of Riley’s biggest tests in his four-year stint as a coach, where they also desperately need to maintain their winning streak to be in contention for the College Football Playoffs.