USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Under Pressure to Deliver in 2025?

Entering the second season in the expanded Big Ten conference, USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley goes into next season with high expectations. While the Trojans fell short of Big Ten title contention last year, Riley is still seen as one of the best coaches in the conference.

The Sporting News ranked the Big Ten coaches from best to worst, with Riley coming in at No. 4.

Above him is Ohio State’s Ryan Day at No. 1, followed by Oregon’s Dan Lanning and Penn State’s James Franklin. All three coaches ahead of Riley made the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, with Ohio State taking home the title.

Despite Riley’s acclaimed football intelligence and resume that supports his success, his 2024 campaign did not live up to standards. However, positions failures and late-season adjustments got the best of some of last year’s results.

Lincoln Riley USC Trojans Big Ten Football Coaches Los Angeles Offense Ryan Day Dan Lanning James Franklin — Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Two issues that stood out the most was quarterback Jayden Maiava transitioning in late, and the absence of star USC linebacker Eric Gentry, who was out with injuries.

Analysts emphasized he is a great coach, but the pressure is immeasurable to win big out west. In his career, Riley is 81-24. At USC, he’s 26-14 in three seasons.

College football analyst Joel Klatt also emphasized USC’s after key wins – noting the team is capable, but struggled to execute.

“You can't go seven and five again. You just can't,” Klatt said on The Joel Klatt Show. “So you look at last year, you start with a win over LSU, you end with a win over Texas A&M. They showed they're capable. They took Penn State to overtime. You know, they really probably should have won that Michigan game. There were some late execution issues that forced them into the record that they had.”

MORE: USC Trojans Recruiting Class Ranked: Best Wide Receivers In College Football?

MORE: 5-Star Recruit Xavier Griffin Addresses Flip To Alabama, Nick Saban, Haters

MORE: USC, Alabama, Ohio State Battling For Mater Dei 4-Star Recruit Aaryn Washington

Beating two non-conference teams – the SEC in particular – is challenging, but possible for a team with the talent and skill to keep up with an elite conference.

Riley is known for being an elite player developer and coach that produces CFP-caliber teams. At Oklahoma, Riley coached Heisman Trophy winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, as well as a College Football Playoff Semifinal appearance in 2018, where the Sooners fell to No. 3 Georgia in a double-overtime thriller.

College football analyst Josh Pate reflected on the excitement of the arrival of Riley, as well as what Riley is capable of building within the program.

“You were getting a guy who had put explosive offense after explosive offense on the field. He's a proven winner, he's a playoff guy, Heisman Trophy winners at the quarterback position, it's tailor made for USC,” Pate said on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. “And he's coming to USC at the dawning of the new NIL portal era. This is where big brands in big markets are going to have a massive upper hand on the Alabamas of the world, I mean Alabama, Clemson, their days of dominating are done. If you're in Los Angeles, California, I mean you could run college football.”

Riley entered the Trojans program with a lot of promise – an elite coach known for developing explosive offenses who win games. At a program like USC with such a rich history of success, it's striking that Riley has only delivered one season that has lived up to those expectations.

With the 2025 season right around the corner and a productive offseason focused on maximizing the Trojans' full potential, USC is primed to turn heads in the Big Ten.

Recommended Articles