Josh Pate Names Major College Football Program Who Might Make First Playoff Appearance

When Lincoln Riley unexpectedly left the Oklahoma Sooners to become the head coach of the USC Trojans, he was widely perceived as the savior of the program.

Riley had tremendous success in Norman, going 55-10 in five seasons. That included four Big 12 championships and three College Football Playoff appearances. However, his tenure at USC has not reached those same heights. He holds a 35-18 record over four seasons, though the Trojans did show notable improvement this past year, finishing 9-4 after going 7-6 in 2024.

The team featured a high-powered offense under Riley, ranking No. 9 in total offense, No. 5 in passing offense, No. 55 in rushing offense and No. 13 in scoring. However, historically, it's been the defense that has let down a Riley-coached team.

This offseason, they had to replace defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, who left to go to Penn State. Riley hired former TCU Horned Frogs head coach Gary Patterson to fill that void. Additionally, USC received a major boost when starting quarterback Jayden Maiava announced his return for the 2026 season after throwing for 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season..

Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Josh Pate discussed a potential chaos scenario on "Josh Pate's College Football Show" that could directly impact USC. In this situation, the Big Ten’s top teams, Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon, fail to meet expectations, creating an opening for another program to emerge.

"If Ohio State and Oregon and Indiana are down a little bit, and that coincides with USC peaking at the right time, maybe, just maybe, we're hearing a different kind of fight song in Indianapolis in early December."

The Trojans are still searching for their first College Football Playoff appearance. Riley had the program on the brink in his first season, finishing 11-3, and a win in the Pac-12 Championship Game likely would have secured a playoff berth. However, USC lost that game and has not come close to a conference title or playoff appearance since.

That said, this season could represent a turning point. With Maiava returning and USC bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country that included three five-star prospects, expectations are once again rising. How quickly those freshmen develop into impact players could ultimately determine the ceiling of this team.

If everything comes together, quarterback play, roster development and favorable conference dynamics, USC could capitalize on any instability at the top of the Big Ten. But if it doesn’t, questions about Riley’s long-term future with the program will only grow louder.