USC Coach Lincoln Riley Quietly Escaping Hot Seat Allegations with Trojans

The entire reason Riley was hired at USC was because of his impressive resume. From multiple Heisman Trophy winners, to four consecutive Big 12 Championship titles and three College Football Playoff appearances, Riley was the man for the job to restore USC success. 

Year 1 under Riley was rewarding, finishing first in Pac-12 play, 11-3 overall and a No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Heisman Trophy winner in Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. 

Riley’s coaching intelligence paired with the Trojans elite roster was the perfect storm, and was what should have set the pace for more seasons like that, which was not the case. 

The 2023 season underwhelmed compared to his first season, finishing 8-5 and 5-4 in their last season in the Pac-12.

Last season was when college football fans and analysts were vocal about relieving Riley. The Trojans finished 7-6 overall, 4-5 in their Big Ten debut, 1-4 on the road and 1-3 in one-score losses. 

After finishing with the worst record under Riley, the Trojans hired general manager Chad Bowden who immediately changed the game, helping to compile the No. 1 2026 recruiting class for USC. 

Revival Of The USC Trojans

In Riley's fourth season, with an offseason filled with doubt and positive development, the Trojans have proved they can compete with the Big Ten. 

Two of the biggest changes from last season are the running back room and Maiava as starting quarterback.

Through four games, Maiava leads the conference in passing yards with 1,223, just 100 more than Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Maiava also has 13 touchdowns on the season, a mix of nine passing and four on the ground, adding the dual threat when leading the offense. 

The addition of running backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders from the transfer portal have been pivotal to USC’s run game. Jordan has rushed for 443 yards and three touchdowns, which is second in the Big Ten, and top 10 in all of FBS. Sanders has rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns. 

On the other side of the ball, the defensive unit is thriving, headlined by transfers and true freshmen, mixed in with veterans. 

In the trenches, true freshman Jakheem Stewart and Floyd Boucard have added power and size, with Boucard recording his first career sack against Purdue, and Stewart added two tackles-for-loss against Michigan State. 

Safety Bishop Fitzgerald is leading the conference in interceptions with three, and two solely from the Purdue win. The NC State transfer has a background at quarterback, and his reads have helped the Trojans in turnovers and slowing down any opponents pass game. 

Veteran linebacker Eric Gentry is healthy after redshirting last season due to injuries, and has been a tackle-for-loss machine. Gentry leads the conference with seven. 

Safety Kamari Ramsey has also been key to the secondary, despite shifting as a nickel to start the season, his leadership has paved the way for a newer and younger defensive back group.

Pivotal Big Ten Match for USC

The Trojans enter week 5 which could be their most competitive game yet. 

USC is on the road at Illinois, kicking off at 9 a.m. PT. Many have tabbed this Big Ten showdown as one of the most important and critical matchups for the Trojans, especially going in with a 4-0 perfect record. 

"USC at Illinois, Week 5. This one is going to be very important for both teams,” analyst Joel Klatt said on an episode of the Joel Klatt Show. “Both teams could very well be 4-0 entering this game. I think that’s absolutely within the realm.” 

Klatt continued on the chance USC has to beat an elite Big Ten team, especially with their difficult schedule down the road. 

“This would be a great opportunity on the road to go and beat an Illinois team that a lot of us think a lot of if they lose their next three games — Michigan at Notre Dame at Nebraska. So things could go off the rails quite quickly if they were to lose this one to Illinois.”

If the Trojans execute on offense and clean up mistakes on defense, they could hand Illinois its second straight conference loss.