USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Under Pressure to Deliver in 2025?

Two issues that stood out the most was quarterback Jayden Maiava transitioning in late, and the absence of star USC linebacker Eric Gentry, who was out with injuries. 

Analysts emphasized he is a great coach, but the pressure is immeasurable to win big out west. In his career, Riley is 81-24. At USC, he’s 26-14 in three seasons. 

College football analyst Joel Klatt also emphasized USC’s after key wins – noting the team is capable, but struggled to execute. 

“You can't go seven and five again. You just can't,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “So you look at last year, you start with a win over LSU, you end with a win over Texas A&M. They showed they're capable. They took Penn State to overtime. You know, they really probably should have won that Michigan game. There were some late execution issues that forced them into the record that they had.”

Beating two non-conference teams – the SEC in particular – is challenging, but possible for a team with the talent and skill to keep up with an elite conference. 

Riley is known for being an elite player developer and coach that produces CFP-caliber teams. At Oklahoma, Riley coached Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, as well as a College Football Playoff Semifinal appearance in 2018, where the Sooners fell to No. 3 Georgia in a double-overtime thriller.

College football analyst Josh Pate reflected on the excitement of the arrival of Riley, as well as what Riley is capable of building within the program. 

“You were getting a guy who had put explosive offense after explosive offense on the field. He's a proven winner, he's a playoff guy, Heisman Trophy winners at the quarterback position, it's tailor made for USC,” Pate said on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “And he's coming to USC at the dawning of the new NIL portal era. This is where big brands in big markets are going to have a massive upper hand on the Alabamas of the world, I mean Alabama, Clemson, their days of dominating are done. If you're in Los Angeles, California, I mean you could run college football.”

Riley entered the Trojans program with a lot of promise – an elite coach known for developing explosive offenses who win games. At a program like USC with such a rich history of success, it's striking that Riley has only delivered one season that has lived up to those expectations. 

With the 2025 season right around the corner and a productive offseason focused on maximizing the Trojans' full potential, USC is primed to turn heads in the Big Ten.