Lincoln Riley's Plans Good for UCLA?

Lincoln Riley, head coach of UCLA's bitter rival, USC, recently revealed the current status of his future with the program.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA football is looking to get back on the map through DeShaun Foster.

One of the first steps in doing that is claiming Southern California and taking ownership of its rivalry with USC, both on the gridiron and on the recruiting trail.

Foster and the Bruins were bested by the Trojans last season, but if you were someone moving to the Los Angeles area and needed a college football team to root for, UCLA might be your best option.

Now, USC initially seems like the obvious pick -- it made a bowl game last season; the Bruins did not. The Trojans had a Heisman Trophy winner under center just two seasons ago; UCLA hasn't had a Heisman Trophy winner since Gary Beban in 1967, the only Bruin to ever receive the honor.

Overall, USC has just had more success in recent years, but the future looks brighter for the Bruins than it does for the Trojans.

The program has been on an exponential decline since Lincoln Riley took over in 2022. He went from taking the Trojans to the Cotton Bowl with 11 wins in Year 1 to barely making a bowl game this past season.

On top of that, USC has lost 21 players to the transfer portal so far this offseason, including the Branch brothers -- Zachariah and Zion.

Perhaps Bruins fans should want Riley to stay at the helm. And there's good news for those who do.

Riley, who is always tied to speculation surrounding offseason NFL coaching vacancies, recently put any noise of him leaving the Trojans to rest. At least, for now.

“I just try to stay focused on the job that I have,” Riley said during his appearance on On3's The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell. "Just be where my feet are. I love this place. I sacrificed a lot, me and my family.

"Not to mention, a lot of other people sacrificed a lot for us to all be out here. I believe very much in this program, and we gave up so much to be here, and we understand that. That’s how strong we feel about this place.

“So, it’s flattering, it’s nice when people say that. It’s not a long-term goal of mine. I love college football, I love coaching at USC, I love the job that I have.

"I think I have the best job in football right now. I think we’re right on the verge of doing some really, really cool things here at a place that’s unlike any other. It’s nice of them to say, but I’m a Trojan.”

UCLA faithful will be hoping their bitter rival's program continues to regress under Riley's reign.

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