USC Trojans Lincoln Riley At Risk Of Being Fired? Big Ten Hot Seat Rankings

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley joined the program ahead of the 2022 season with high expectations. Though he started strong, USC has yet to make a College Football Playoff appearance and is coming off a 7-6 season. Is Riley under the most pressure among the coaches in the Big Ten?

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is gearing up to be a crucial one for USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley. Riley was hired ahead of the 2022 season with high expectations, signing the largest contract in coaching at the time at $10.1 million.

While Riley started strong with the program, going 10-3 in 2022, things have not gone as expected. Each season under Riley, USC’s record has lowered, most recently finishing the 2024 season 7-6. 

CBS Sports released their annual coaching hot seat rankings. They had nine of their top college football experts rank a coach from five, being unsafe, to zero, being safe, and took the average of each coach. Riley was ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten with a score of 3.33, only behind Wisconsin Badgers coach Luke Fickell as most likely on the hot seat.

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With a score of 3.33, there is pressure for Riley to turn things around this season. Going 7-6 is not a record that will push the USC Trojans to the College Football Playoff, especially in a competitive conference.

While five of the six losses were within one score, those are the games that USC has to win. Losing against Minnesota, Maryland, and Michigan, who had a down season, was costly. Riley is also 4-10 against ranked opponents with USC, and unless he can turn things around quickly, Riley’s job with the Trojans will be something to watch.

There were still positives to USC’s season, such as winning the Las Vegas Bowl against the Texas A&M Aggies. After a disappointing regular season and losing many players to the NCAA Transfer Portal, including four of the team’s wide receivers, the win in the bowl game provided hope for next season.

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

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Ahead of the matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Riley decided to bench quarterback Miller Moss, giving Jayden Maiava a shot as the starter. Maiava went 3-1 as a starter, only losing against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the National Championship runner-ups. While there is still room for Maiava to grow, such as avoiding turnovers, he set himself up for this season as the projected starter.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) carries the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The toughest matchups on USC’s schedule this season are on Oct. 18 against Notre Dame and on Nov. 22 against Oregon. USC and Notre Dame have a historic rivalry, and with intense discussions on the yearly matchup ending, this is a big-time game.

Notre Dame has had very successful seasons, most recently competing for the national championship. The Fighting Irish are once again going to be a tough team, and it will be a big test for USC.

The Oregon Ducks were the top-ranked team in college football during the 2024 regular season. Despite roster turnover, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the team are hungry to make a further playoff push, and could once again going to be fierce competitors. USC will also be playing at Autzen Stadium, giving an extra edge to Oregon.

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

There will be a couple of season-defining games for Riley and the Trojans. The first will be against Illinois, a team looking to make a playoff run this season after exceeding expectations last year. The next is against the Michigan Wolverines, who USC lost to in 2024, and both teams are looking to turn things around this season. 

The USC Trojans are recruiting well, with the No. 1 class of 2026. The team is utilizing NIL and bringing in key pieces through the transfer portal. The USC Trojans have to execute it on the field and show improvement, or Riley’s time with the program may be numbered.