USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley Undefeated Against SEC Teams In 2024

With conference superiority arguments raging, the USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley added to the Big Ten's impressive record over the SEC in 2024 with wins over the LSU Tigers and Texas A&M Aggies.
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
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

The National Championship game is set with he Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten conference facing the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, an independent school. One discourse this college football season has been about the strength of the SEC.

Despite the discussion about other conferences not being able to beat SEC teams, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, and Illinois are 8-1 against the SEC conference this season. The lone loss came on Sep. 7 when the Texas Longhorns defeated the Michigan Wolverines, 31-12.

The first win against an SEC opponent for the USC Trojans was in Week 1 of the season. The Trojans defeated the LSU Tigers. Tigers were favored by 4.5 points and USC was counted out. At the time, USC was ranked No. 23 while LSU was No. 13.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley
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

“Just the way we battled all game long. We didn’t, we didn’t give up too many explosives,” Riley said after the win against LSU. “It was fun to get the win today. Obviously, opportunities like this don’t, don’t come every single day where, you know, a high profile opponent, obviously all the exciting lead up to the game. So I’m glad that we took advantage of it.”

The win over LSU provided hope for USC’s season. With the departure of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the Trojans were counted out. It was a big win for USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who started the season 2-0. 

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The Trojans went on to end the regular season with a disappointing 6-6 record. It was not the year that was expected based on the start. The Trojans made a quarterback switch from Miller Moss to Jayden Maiava and there were questions surrounding Riley’s coaching. Despite the disappointment, USC earned six wins to become bowl-eligible.

The Trojans ended the season the way they started, at Allegient Stadium against an SEC opponent. In the Last Vegas Bowl, USC faced the 7-5 Texas A&M Aggies. The Trojans entered the game as 3.5-point underdogs and walked out with a 35-31-point win.

The Aggies had a three-score lead, but the Trojans fought until the end to secure the win. 

"Just incredibly proud of this group, the resiliency they showed, I told them there's a toughness and hardness developing within this program right now. I think you could look at a lot of different points throughout this season and certainly tonight and you see that, and there's a lot of excitement about that," Riley said after the win. 

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

This was USC’s second consecutive bowl-game win under Riley, once again providing hope about the future. USC was without many starters between the transfer portal, preparing for the draft, and injuries. While there are questions and needs for the future of USC, Riley still led his team to a tough win.

The Trojans offense orchestrated a game-winning drive against both SEC teams despite being underdogs heading into both games. Looking ahead to 2025, the USC Trojans do not have an SEC opponent scheduled but could meet one again in the post-season. 

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Angela Miele
ANGELA MIELE

Angela Miele is a writer covering the USC Trojans on Sports Illustrated. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Master’s in Communication and Media in 2024. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2022 from Rowan University. She graduated with a B.A. in English with minors in Writing Arts and Sports Communication and Media. Since graduating from Rowan University, she has been a contributor on various websites, most recently covering the NFL and college football for The Forkball.