Lincoln Riley Breaks Down Emotions Entering Pivotal USC Season

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley spoke to reporters on Tuesday evening. The Trojans' 2026 season kicks off in a Week 0 matchup against the San José State Spartans on Aug. 29.

How’s Riley feeling about this season?

Lincoln Riley "Excited and Confident" About What's Coming For USC

usc trojans lincoln riley college football playoff big ten jayden maiava 2026 recruiting class gary patterson san jose state — Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; USC Football head coach Lincoln Riley speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the start of Tuesday’s press conference, Riley was asked if he’s more relaxed going into this season.

“I don’t know. Maybe ask my wife. She might be a better judge,” Riley said jokingly. “I don’t think I’ve had a conscious decision to try to be more that way. I am excited and confident about what we’re doing. That’s real … Is it fun to see some of these things that we’ve been working on for years and years start to come to fruition? Yeah. It’s been a long road.”

It’s the fifth season at the helm in Los Angeles for Riley. In his first four years, he’s accumulated an overall record of 35-18. USC has made a bowl game in all four of these years, but the have yet to make the College Football Playoff. Furthermore, USC as a program has not made the playoff since the format was implemented back in 2014. That’s clearly a goal for this team.

USC is historically one of the most successful programs in college football, with 11 national championships, eight Heisman Trophy winners, and countless NFL players. However, the past 20 years have not resulted in the type of team success that Trojans fans are used to. Since 2009, USC has won just one conference title with zero playoff appearances or appearances in a national championship game.

When Riley was hired as coach prior to the 2022 season, the hope was that he would elevate USC back to their winning ways. It has not happened yet.

The college football landscape has changed dramatically over the past half decade with NIL, the transfer portal, and conference realignment. It’s taken time for Riley to get USC up and running, but this season feels like it could be the one where they finally take that next step into being a contender.

USC is getting starting quarterback Jayden Maiava back. Maiava started all 13 games for USC in 2025, throwing for 3,711 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2025.

On defense, USC hired Gary Patterson as their next defensive coordinator. Patterson is most well known for his time as the TCU Horned Frogs head coach from 2000-2021. He had an overall record there of 181-79, leading the Horned Frogs to six conference titles.

USC also landed the No. 1 ranked 2026 recruiting class in the country.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the Trojans just opened a brand new facility, the Bloom Performance Center earlier this month.

The positive momentum is there within the program. Now the question is will Riley and company be able to keep it going through the season and possibly get to the playoff for the first time in program history.

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