10
Loading video...
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
USC's season started off strong, notching four straight wins over San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, and at Rutgers.
But the Trojans under Lincoln Riley have once again struggled to compete when matched up against quality opponents. They lost 41-27 at home against Oregon, who were without Dante Moore for most of the game and are now just 4-3 on the season, and were heavily outmatched by Wisconsin last weekend, falling 24-7 in Madison.
Expectations were high for this program coming into the year after they brought in the top-rated recruiting class in college football and continued investing in its football facilities. But the Trojans now find themselves just 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten play, with a daunting schedule remaining, starting with No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday.
Read More on NCAA
As USC prepares for its biggest game of the season, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt explained why the Trojans have struggled so much and why Riley has failed to live up to expectations.
"The biggest difference between Lincoln Riley at USC and Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma is the lack of a run game for the Trojans," Klatt said. "Breadcrumbs for USC suggests that they are not even close to what I thought that they could be or anticipated that they could be or even what I thought they were last week. Sloppy wins are the breadcrumbs. Sloppy against Rutgers. Sloppy against Washington. Sloppy against Penn State. And now here comes Ohio State.
"Why is it different than Oklahoma for Lincoln Riley? Their run game is 103rd in the country in yards per carry. Run game, not the passing game. It's not the defense. It's the run game. 103rd in yards per carry. 103rd. At OU, what were they, Joel? Number one," Klatt added. "They ran the football, protected the offensive line against the pressure. They couldn't do that against Wisconsin. They have not been able to do that during the course of the year."
More news: Lane Kiffin Takes Clear Stance on College Football Playoff Expansion
At Oklahoma, Riley built an explosive offense around talented dual-threat quarterbacks, including Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, and a productive running game. He went 55-10 in five seasons leading the Sooners, winning four Big 12 championships, and taking the team to the College Football Playoff three times.
USC hired him in 2021 expecting to see him bring that same winning formula to Los Angeles. However, five years later, he still hasn't led the Trojans to the CFP and has the team trending in the wrong direction. USC went 11-3 in Riley's first season, then dropped to 8-5 in 2023, 7-6 in 2025, and 9-4 in 2025.
More news: College Football Playoff Hopeful Takes Aim at SEC and Big Ten
...
More news: Notre Dame Gets Surprising CFP Prediction Ahead of Miami Clash
Recent reports are that this could be Riley's last season at USC, despite a monster buyout of around $70 million. That's a lot of money the university would have to eat, but they also might not have a choice depending on how the rest of this season plays out. After the Buckeyes on Saturday, USC will travel to No. 4 Indiana, host Maryland, and then close out the regular season at No. 7 UCLA. That's an incredibly difficult stretch for any team to manage, and one that could ultimately decide Riley's fate.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines