Brady Quinn Says the Quiet Part Out Loud About Lincoln Riley

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn has not let the USC Trojans-Notre Dame Fighting Irish rivalry fade quietly. As the two programs remain locked in a scheduling standoff, Quinn has intensified his public criticism of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, this time using the meteoric rise of Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti as the sharpest point of comparison.

Quinn’s latest jab followed USC’s loss to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Valero Alamo Bowl, when Riley spoke optimistically about the program’s trajectory. Asked about USC’s long-term outlook and its continued pursuit of a first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, Riley said the Trojans’ championship window is finally open after years of groundwork.

Fox sports college football analyst Brady Quinn USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti Big Ten — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“I really believe a window here has opened up,” Riley said postgame. “That’s taken a lot of effort by a lot of people, a lot of commitment by a lot of people. Four fun but really challenging years to get it open, but it’s open now.”

Whether it's viewed as rose-colored optimism or lip service is up for USC fans to decide. But Riley's comments were meant to signal that with yet another above .500 season, a Biletnikoff winner in Makai Lemon and a No.1 recruiting class heading into next season, that the Trojans are nearing a real turning point in Riley's quest to return USC to their former powerhouse status.

Quinn Uses Indiana’s Rise to Undercut Riley’s Timeline

Quinn on the other hand, wasn’t buying it. Taking to social media, the FOX Sports analyst pointed directly to what Curt Cignetti has accomplished at Indiana in a fraction of the time. “Cignetti is doing in two years what some say takes four just to open that window,” Quinn wrote.

The timing of the comment was deliberate. Indiana is coming off a historic Rose Bowl victory, dismantling Alabama 38-3. The loss marked the Crimson Tide’s worst bowl defeat by point margin since their 44-16 loss to Clemson in the 2019 College Football Playoff. The Hoosiers are now two wins away from a national championship and currently sit as the betting favorite to win it all according to FanDuel Sportsbooks (+130).

Cignetti has also won back-to-back AP Coach of the Year honors, becoming the first coach in college football history to do so. After decades of irrelevance in Bloomington, Indiana is suddenly operating on the sport’s biggest stage.

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Parallel Paths, Drastically Different Results

What makes the comparison sting for USC is how closely the surface-level paths mirror one another. Like Riley, Cignetti inherited a program with deep structural issues and rebuilt it quickly. Like Riley, Cignetti developed a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, much like USC’s Caleb Williams under Riley, has emerged as a potential No. 1 overall pick at the next level.

The difference, Quinn argues, is the finish. Riley arrived at USC ahead of the 2022 season, bringing Williams with him from Oklahoma. That first year delivered immediate promise. USC finished 11–2, climbed as high as No. 4 in the national rankings, and appeared on the brink of Playoff contention.

Since then, the results have flattened. The Trojans have posted 8-5, 7-6, and 9-4 records over the last three seasons, closing Riley’s four-year run with a 35-8 overall record and a 24-12 mark in conference play. Only one of those four seasons produced 10 or more wins. USC has yet to win a conference championship under Riley and has yet to reach the College Football Playoff.

Rivalry Tensions Add Fuel to Quinn’s Criticism

That resume has become fair game for Quinn, who earlier this week also criticized Riley’s role in pausing the USC-Notre Dame rivalry. Speaking on FOX Sports Radio, Quinn accused Riley of driving the decision while questioning his credibility to do so.

“He hasn’t won a conference championship, hasn’t made the Playoff, and hasn’t won a Rose Bowl,” Quinn said, calling it “rich” for Riley to question Notre Dame’s scheduling motives.

Quinn also pushed back on Riley’s claim that Notre Dame abandoned its “anytime, anywhere” scheduling philosophy, alleging USC proposed dates it knew the Irish could not accept. According to Quinn, shelving the rivalry strips USC of one of its defining annual stages. “That game brought relevance,” Quinn said. “And it’s gone.”

Looking ahead, Riley and the Trojans will have no shortage of proving grounds. USC’s Big Ten slate includes matchups against the Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, and Penn State Nittany Lions, exactly the type of opponents that define national legitimacy.

If the championship window Riley described is truly open, USC won’t need words to prove it, the Trojans will need wins that force even their loudest critics to stop talking.

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