Josh Pate Believes Major College Football Coach's Job is on the Line

The clock is ticking on the Lincoln Riley era at USC. Riley was hired before the 2022 season to bring new life to a historic program that had gone dormant.

The Trojans had one of their strongest stretches in the 2000s, posting seven double-digit-win seasons and winning two national championships. However, from 2010-21, they managed just four double-digit-win seasons and no College Football Playoff appearances.

USC Enters Year 5 with Lincoln Riley Under Pressure

That's what Riley was hired to solve. In his five seasons as Oklahoma's head coach, Riley went an incredible 55-10. He led the Sooners to three College Football Playoff berths and four Big 12 championships. Riley's teams were known for their high-powered offenses, as he had two players win the Heisman and another finish as a runner-up during his time in Norman.

The expectation was that his high-powered offenses would restore excitement in Los Angeles, and in Year 1, they delivered exactly that. Riley led USC to an 11-3 record, and quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy.

However, that's the best it has been. Riley followed that up with an 8-5 campaign, despite Williams' return and the team's preseason ranking of No. 6 in the country. The Trojans then went 7-6 and 9-4 in the next two seasons.

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Josh Pate Says Riley Is Officially "On the Clock"

These struggles are why Josh Pate revealed on "Josh Pate's College Football Show" that Riley is in win-now mode or his job could be on the line.

"USC is certainly on the clock," Pate said. "This is no mystery. When USC hired Lincoln Riley, it was a bombshell. Because when USC hired Lincoln Riley, USC was searching, and Lincoln Riley was the answer, or so it seemed... They are entering Year 5. His best year was his first year; that was his one and only time he won double-digit games."

Riley was brought in to restore USC's relevance and win national championships. So far, his tenure has been nothing but a disappointment.

USC has only placed in the final College Football Playoff rankings twice in his tenure, and never higher than No. 10. For reference, he finished in the top six every year but his last at Oklahoma.

USC's Standard Is Championships, Not Nine-Win Seasons

The expectation at USC has never been subtle; anything short of competing for national championships falls below the standard. Riley was hired to elevate the Trojans back into the sport's elite tier, and entering Year 5, patience is beginning to thin.

If USC continues to hover around the nine- or 10-win mark without breaking through in the postseason, the questions about whether Riley can deliver a title in Los Angeles will only grow louder.

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