Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Who Got 'Punked' After Week 4 Loss

The ESPN analyst's take came after Oregon won 41-27 at the Coliseum and Dan Lanning mocked the home crowd in his postgame press conference.

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

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum says USC head coach Lincoln Riley isn't the coach to turn the Trojans around after No. 20 Oregon beat No. 12 USC 41-27 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Week 4.

Finebaum made the comments Sunday on ESPN's The Matt Barrie Show. He said Riley had a rare chance to own a big night at home. Instead, Finebaum said Riley got "punked on the field" and took more heat from Oregon head coach Dan Lanning after the game.

Paul Finebaum on Lincoln Riley

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Finebaum said he wasn't calling Riley a fraud or asking USC to fire him. He said the school makes that choice.

"But I will tell you right now, Lincoln Riley is not an elite coach. He is not a coach capable of turning a program like Southern Cal around," Finebaum said. "I think he's a good coach. He was a better coach at Oklahoma than the Oklahoma fans now believe."

Finebaum has ripped Riley before, and ahead of the 2025 season he called Riley's coaching "fraudulent" on The Dari Nowkhah Show.

What did Oregon's Dan Lanning say?

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (left) shakes hands with USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon won without starting quarterback Dante Moore, who left in the second quarter after a late hit. Backup quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Lanning, now 3-0 against USC, took a shot at the Trojans' crowd after the game.

"I've watched three of their games here, and it hasn't been packed yet," Lanning said. "But we were here tonight, and it was packed tonight. I guess when the Ducks show up, that's how you fill up the Coliseum."

He also made a pitch to Southern California recruits.

"I guess if you're interested in winning football games and you're from this area, you should come to Oregon," Lanning said. "If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, you should go here."

Finebaum said Lanning's postgame comments hurt Riley on top of the loss.

"But that, in essence, almost ended Lincoln Riley's season, by one of his peers and a guy that used to be trying to become Lincoln Riley," Finebaum said. "Now, who in the world wants to be Lincoln Riley?"

USC's record under Lincoln Riley

USC Trojans cheerleaders perform during the game against the Oregon Ducks | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

USC fell to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Trojans tied the game 27-27 with 12:41 left, but Raiola answered with a 29-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dakorien Moore.

Riley then went for it on fourth-and-7 from USC's own 49-yard line with 7:19 to play. Quarterback Jayden Maiava's pass fell incomplete, and Oregon added another touchdown.

The loss dropped USC to 5-15 against top-25 teams under Riley, and the Trojans haven't beaten Oregon since 2016.

USC hosts Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Trojans still face Penn State, Ohio State and Indiana later this season.