Year 4, and head coach Lincoln Riley has again failed to meet preseason expectations. The USC Trojans are still searching for their first playoff appearance under Riley, even after he arrived from Norman with plenty of playoff track record and a 55-10 record. Despite being officially out of the playoff and Big Ten title race with their third loss, a former USC legendary QB jumped in to defend Riley, asking fans to give him one more year of benefit of the doubt and believing things might finally fall into place in Year 5.

On November 23, former USC QB and analyst Matt Leinart hopped onto X and gave his perspective on why Year 5 could be USC’s breakthrough:

“Usc is close. I know people hate that which I get because it seems like that’s always the excuse. Truth is, it’s true. We lost to 2 good teams this year, 2 in which have a real shot to win a title. We played way more physical consistently this year, dealt with a plethora on injuries and still have fought hard. Have a chance to finish 10-3 this year with the top class coming in, assuming a good portal class and some key returners. Next year is year 5, can see how it goes and judge from there.”

Hate to say it, but USC’s 2025 season under Lincoln Riley was never truly about making the playoff. Honestly, it was a major setup year for the 2026 campaign if you look closely.

Let’s start with the improvements. For one, the defense – long a weakness – got way better thanks to new coordinator D’Anton Lynn. The 2025 unit held opponents to about 23.5 points per game (down from 29.2 in 2022), proving they could win ugly and not just rely on the passing game to bail them out every time. And get this: all their losses were against elite, top-10 teams (Oregon & Notre Dame). In the loss to Illinois (a top-10 team at the time), USC’s offense still dropped 32 points.

They also found their footing in the brutal Big Ten. USC finished the regular season 8-3, including big wins over ranked opponents like No. 15 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa at the Coliseum. Their offense led the Big Ten in yards per game and ranked 14th nationally with 37.2 points per game. But the one major headache? Run defense. They ranked outside the top 40, allowing over 170 rushing yards in both road losses. If we start going down the path of ifs and buts, the run defense is the reason USC missed the playoff.

However, that won’t be the case next season. 2026 is lining up to be the year. Why? Because Lincoln Riley absolutely crushed the recruiting trail, landing the top-ranked 2026 class in the country. He plugged the exact defensive gaps with five-star talent like Simote Katoanga, Tomuhini Topui, and Talanoa Ili, and strengthened the offensive line with guys like Keenyi Pepe.

Combine this with key returners like Jayden Maiava, Makai Lemon, and company, and 2026 might finally be the year Riley returns to the playoff for the first time since 2019. At this point, it makes a lot more sense to give him another year of benefit of the doubt than to pull the $80 million buyout trigger.

Lincoln Riley loses his cool over stupid question

After USC’s tough 42-27 loss to Oregon, many people started pointing fingers at head coach Lincoln Riley. One notable moment came from Trojans Wire writer Adam Bradford, who tweeted about an Oregon fan’s sign at GameDay that read, “Extend Lincoln Riley’s contract.” Bradford then asked Riley: “I asked about his thoughts on the fact that opposing fans do not view him as a threat at USC. Maybe harsh on my part, but I believe USC fans deserve answers.”

Riley, not holding back, shut down the question with a direct response, calling it “the dumbest question I’ve ever been asked as long as I’ve been a head coach.” Lincoln Riley essentially made it clear he won’t tolerate disrespect from a college writer and lectured him about morality and professionalism. Even though the question came off a bit rude, the writer wasn’t entirely wrong. Riley’s contract was last extended in 2022, and since then, there haven’t been any big-time wins like the ones he had in Norman. The best way to handle the Riley situation is to give him one last chance.

So yeah, heading into 2026, all the pieces are in place. The roster will be built with Riley’s recruits and his full staff in place, and the team will have a new state-of-the-art facility. The expectation will be to not only compete but to dominate, making a serious run at a Big Ten title and a spot in the playoff.