What Makes USC's Loss to Wisconsin Worse for Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley

Madison, Wis -- USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley took a victory lap following his team's win over Penn State on Oct. 10. No, he actually took a lap around the field well after the stadium had cleared out and soaked in the moment.

In his postgame presser, he took shots at the media and the Trojan fan base. He puffed out his chest, gloated and was riding high after defeating a Penn State team that has not won since Sept. 19, in late October by the way, only to have it slammed back in face two weeks later when USC returned to action.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava Buyout Coaching Fire Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten Road Camp Randall — Oct 24, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches his team during warmups before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Wahl-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It would be one thing if it was the spark that Riley said it would be for the program. Instead, coming off a bye week, the Trojans had an awful showing against Wisconsin as they fell 24-7 at Camp Randall Stadium. Well-coached teams don't put out the product like what USC did on Saturday night, especially coming off a bye.

"Really disappointing game. Just flat out didn't play good enough on any of the three sides of the ball," Riley said. "Didn't coach good enough. Made critical errors on the road against a good football team that you can't make."

Riley flat out embarrassed the program, again. There's no other way to put it. To lose to a Wisconsin team by three scores that had just 200 yards of offense and lost to crosstown rival UCLA last week, is unacceptable and could very much be the final straw in the Riley tenure.

After it looked like USC and quarterback Jayden Maiava had begun to flip the narrative on the road, they reverted back to their old ways and became a completely different team away from the Coliseum. And in year five, it's become the norm.

Riley's playcalling on first and second down was questionable and the execution was even worse. And as a result, USC found themselves in third and long situations throughout the night and every single one of them felt like a desperation play. The run game never got going. USC's three running backs combined to carry the ball 20 times for 40 yards.

Riley's worst decision of the night came in the fourth quarter when the Trojans trailed by 10, and he trotted out Caden Chittenden to kick a 58-yard field goal ... in the rain. No surprise, that kick fell way short. His response after the game was even worse.

"I was going to call timeout. We had a player not go out," Riley said. "They were smart and did the slow sub on us, and I was going to use a timeout. I was going to see if we were going to get the kick off and then we panicked and we snapped the ball with official standing right there. The penalty wasn't delayed because the clock ran out. The penalty was we tried to snap it before the official cleared out.

"I was going to call timeout ahead of the time. Obviously, wish I just would have done it. I was standing right next to the official, but the penalty was we tried to snap the ball when they official was standing over it. And then the 58-yarder. He hit in pregame."

Lincoln Riley's Future at USC

A buyout that is around $70-72 million cannot save Riley. It's a hefty number, but if USC wants him gone, his office and house in Palos Verdes would be packed up that day.

And with the College Football Playoff set to expand from 12 to 24 teams in 2027, that won't save him either.

The little support Riley had from the fan base heading into the season left weeks ago. And the support from the administration, has just about run its course. The university has given Riley everything he wants and in year five, there are still no results.

What does the outlook of the program look like moving forward? To put it in lighter terms, not good.

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