USC Becomes the Laughing Stock of College Football After Week 0 Game

Week 0 of the 2026 college football season sent NBC's cameras into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. The broadcast found rows of empty red seats instead of a full house. Social media reaction was immediate and unforgiving. By the time the trending topics settled, USC had become the punchline of Week 0.

Their season-opening win was overshadowed by an announced crowd of only 51,144 in a stadium that holds 77,500. Kickoff came at 3 p.m. ET with temperatures near 93 degrees. The explanation that heat kept fans away did little to calm the criticism.

USC's Coliseum attendance draws mockery online

The announced crowd fell more than 26,000 short of a sellout. It marked the lowest turnout of USC head coach Lincoln Riley's five seasons in Los Angeles. Wide shots from the broadcast showed the upper deck nearly empty well into the second half. Reaction online ranged from confusion to outright mockery.

The Coliseum at kickoff of USC’s season opener with San Jose State pic.twitter.com/4bOhMY487b
— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) August 29, 2026

One fan wrote, "Football is not taken serious at SC."

Another asked, "Who in their right mind would want to play football for that fan base?"

Others pushed back on the weather excuse entirely. One sarcastic reply read, "It smells like fair-weather fans in these replies."

Another fan leaned on a decades-old stereotype. The post read, "The West Coast doesn't take college football seriously, a tale as old as time."

One reply summed up the mood plainly, calling it "Embarrassing for the Big Ten."

USC has faced criticism over attendance before, but Saturday's numbers were the most extreme of Riley's tenure.

USC's slow finish raises bigger questions for Lincoln Riley

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley — Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the San Jose State Spartans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The attendance number obscured a more relevant storyline. USC led 35-3 after three quarters before San Jose State scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth. The final score of 42-26 did not match how one-sided the game felt. Riley pulled his starters once the outcome was decided, and backups conceded the late points.

USC finished 9-3 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play last season. That record was good enough for a bowl game but not the playoff. USC enters 2026 with real reasons for confidence.

The Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Quarterback Jayden Maiava returns after a full season as the starter. New defensive coordinator Gary Patterson built his reputation on top-ranked defenses at TCU. Patterson spent 21 seasons as the Horned Frogs' head coach and won 181 games.

Riley said this offseason that his roster is more equipped than at any point in his tenure. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has predicted the Trojans could win 10 games this season. None of that mattered against San Jose State.

Big Ten conference play will test Trojans

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning — Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greet each other after their 2026 game at Autzen Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

None of it will be tested until conference play begins in earnest. Yes, the Trojans won more comfortably than the final score shows. However, the media is going to frame this team as "less than" until wins against top opponents are delivered.

No. 2 Oregon visits USC on September 26, with Washington following the next week. The Trojans then travel to Penn State on October 10. No. 1 Ohio State visits the Coliseum on October 31. The Trojans close that stretch at defending national champion Indiana on November 14. Three of those five opponents, Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana, enter the season ranked in the preseason top six.

It's critical the Trojans show up and assert themselves in their critical matchups this year. USC and Riley's diminishing reputations are at stake.

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