What a difference a year makes for Lincoln Riley-led USC

In 365 days, Lincoln Riley took USC’s football program from wretched to relevant.

On Nov. 28, 2021, USC announced the former Oklahoma Sooners coach was heading west as the Trojans' new head coach.

Los Angeles gained another star. 

In only a year, Riley rebuilt the team through the transfer portal and reinvigorated USC football culture. 

Star sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams followed him from Oklahoma to USC. In the transfer portal, Riley picked up 2021 Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison from Pittsburgh along with 19 other players. They included receiver Mario Williams and cornerback Latrell McCutchin from Oklahoma, RB Travis Dye (Oregon) and linebacker Shane Lee (Alabama). 

"This is a unique year and unique situation," Riley told ESPN in February. "When you're trying to really revamp a roster and fill the amount of spots that we're attempting to fill, being able to have all these different mechanisms to use to fill that has been extremely valuable."

The "mechanisms" included Hollywood Boulevard, sunshine, NIL deals and Lincoln Riley, the man who won 85 percent of his games and made three College Football Playoff appearances in five seasons at Oklahoma.

In 365 days, the Trojans’ record flipped from 4-8 in 2021 to 11-1 in 2022. In Weeks 12 and 13, USC beat rivals UCLA, 48-45, and Notre Dame, 38-27. In 2021, the Trojans lost to UCLA, 62-33, and to Notre Dame, 31-16.

"I can't say, 'Yes, I knew this was going to happen,' but at the same time, I don't believe in putting limits on what you can accomplish, especially if you get the right people in the building and everybody decides to be unselfish and work hard for each other," Riley said on Saturday. "The worst thing you can ever do is put limits on what you can accomplish."

Per USCFootball.com, 72,613 fans attended Saturday's Notre Dame game at Los Angeles Coliseum, a stark difference from USC's last home game in 2021.