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Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leaves the field after the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley On Hot Seat In 2025 Season?

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI | By Nathan Fusco | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 3:00 PM ET

Lincoln Riley arrived in Los Angeles with expectations as high as one can imagine for a first-year head coach. After turning Oklahoma into a four-time Big 12 champion, the USC Trojans hired him to restore national relevance and chase championships. Three seasons later, Riley has a Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Caleb Williams and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2026, but no conference title and only one ranked finish.

With the Trojans now entering their second year in the Big Ten and coming off a disappointing 7–6 campaign, Riley faces mounting scrutiny heading into the 2025 season.

That pressure was amplified recently when ESPN's Paul Finebaum labeled Riley the coach under the most pressure in college football this fall. Appearing on Get Up, Finebaum didn't hold back, citing USC's lack of meaningful postseason results.

He acknowledged Riley’s strong first year in Los Angeles, but said, "Since then, it has been very rocky. And quite frankly, I think he would already be gone if it wasn’t for about an $80 million buyout. Even for Southern Cal, that might be too much money."

Riley’s track record at Oklahoma makes the conversation more complicated. From 2017 to 2021, he posted a 55–10 record with three College Football Playoff appearances and two Heisman winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

His early success at USC echoed that momentum, with an 11–3 season and a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game. Williams won the Heisman, and optimism returned to Heritage Hall. But USC fell flat in 2023 and stumbled again in 2024, finishing 4–5 in conference play, but won the Las Vegas Bowl against the Texas A&M Aggies.

The criticism around Riley centers not only on wins and losses, but on missed expectations. USC has not won a conference title under Riley. In fact, the program has just five double-digit win seasons since 2009, a stretch that falls far below the standard of other college football blue bloods. Alabama has recorded 15 in that span. Ohio State has 14. Oklahoma, even without Riley, remains in the national mix.

What complicates the conversation is the fact that USC continues to be a strong recruiter. The Trojans currently sit atop the 2026 recruiting rankings with 27 commits, including five-star tight end Mark Bowman. Riley’s recruiting reach remains one of the strongest in the sport, and his staff has doubled down on Southern California talent. The NIL era has also enabled USC to capitalize on its Los Angeles market and donor base, allowing it to keep pace with other elite programs.

On the field, however, the pressure to deliver is real. USC promoted Luke Huard to offensive coordinator this offseason, replacing Josh Henson. Quarterback Jayden Maiava steps in as the projected starter after Miller Moss transferred to Louisville.

Maiava showed flashes in 2024, throwing for 655 yards and seven touchdowns in his two best games against Notre Dame and Texas A&M. His development, along with USC's ability to compete in the trenches, will define the Trojans' future in the Big Ten.

For now, USC remains a program with elite potential but an unclear trajectory. Riley’s success on the recruiting trail has bought time, but if the on-field results don’t follow in 2025, the conversation about his future in Los Angeles will grow louder.

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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