Leave it to USC students, adept at spotting fakes, to find out what they were seeing.
Someone who continues to skate by with a D in pass-fail courses.
An individual who is constantly served at the commissary without a meal card.
A person who takes credit for having a spotless corner in an otherwise dirty dorm room.
Assessing the situation early in the third quarter Saturday at the Coliseum, these USC students delivered their verdict.
“Fire Lincoln!” “” they chanted, after it became clear that their Trojans were about to put up an unexpected fight against an undermanned team.
“Fire Lincoln!” they continued, after the offense sputtered and the defense acted like it was playing two-handed tag.
“Fire Lincoln!” » they concluded after once again witnessing the same slop led by the same coach.
As one longtime observer of USC football under Lincoln Riley said, once the game was over, the Trojans having somehow prevailed for an undeserved 25-21 victory over Washington, the takeaway often is that he can’t believe the Trojans won — or lost — after far too many games.
When the Trojans win, it’s often in undignified fashion after a sloppy performance.
When they lose, it’s often against teams that don’t belong anywhere near the Trojans.
It’s a sign of a program that rarely does what it should be doing under the circumstances. The one who is adrift, without identity or credible leader. One that requires huge crates of juice hoisted onto the sidelines to generate power.
USC was at it again Saturday under Lincoln Michael Riley.
Needing a last-minute defensive stop to win against a team down to its fourth running back, the Trojans celebrated as if they had won something meaningful.
Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson exchanged a hug and a slap in the press box as if he were headed to the College Football Playoff.
Riley spoke of “a lot to be excited about” and being “proud to fight” after his offense repeatedly struggled to simply line up in a legal lineup.
Only quarterback Jayden Maiava, who sprinted off the field before looking like he would rather be anywhere other than talking about this game afterwards, showed some sort of disappointment.
Maybe, like his noisy classmates in the stands, Maiava knows what he sees.
This column is not about claiming Riley’s job; it’s a question of what school officials think they’re getting by sticking with him or if anyone really believes this season will end in the CFP.
A quick recap of the Trojans’ last four games should provide an idea of what lies ahead.
Gave up 30 points at home against Louisiana.
He was almost knocked down on the road against Rutgers.
Folded in the fourth quarter against Oregon.
An epic rally against Washington was needed.
Does this sound like the resume of one of the top 12 teams in the country? Should it inspire confidence that the fifth year under Riley is different from what came before?
At this point, a 7-5 seems more likely than a 10-2.
Consider the upcoming schedule. After playing five of its first six games at home, USC (5-1) must now finish with four of six on the road, where every previous season under Riley went to die.
Remember Utah in 2022? Or Notre Dame and Oregon in 2023? What about Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland and Washington in 2024? And what about Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon in 2025?
Any path to redemption in 2026 must start with back-to-back wins at Penn State and Wisconsin, two of the most unforgiving environments in the country.
The Nittany Lions will host the Trojans with a “White Out” that could turn into a whitewash. The Badgers could roast the Trojans like one more beer-marinated kid on the grill.
Even a split of these games — the most likely scenario — likely dooms USC’s CFP hopes down the stretch. The Trojans are scheduled to face Ohio State at home before facing Indiana and UCLA on the road.
This represents two or even three additional losses. Is anyone really taking Riley and the Trojans over Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers at this point?
Even Bob Chesney’s Bruins, in their first season under the coach, appear to be a much more cohesive team with much higher potential.
Give Riley credit for one thing: His players seemed to leave those stupid juice boxes untouched on the sideline Saturday.
This left the student section to turn up the volume when it came to this team and who was in charge.
“Fire Lincoln!” »
If they go after Lincoln Riley, who’s still there?
Gn headline
