Lincoln Riley is feeling the heat at USC. The Trojans had a golden opportunity last week to pick up a statement win against Big Ten foe Oregon. Instead, they fell flat in a 41-27 loss to the Ducks, adding another disappointing chapter to Riley’s tenure and fueling calls from USC fans for a change.
So, where does USC go from here? The "Big Noon Kickoff" crew tackled that question Saturday, and former USC quarterback and Heisman winner Matt Leinart didn't mince words when describing the current state of the program. "They’re stuck in the mud with nowhere to go," Leinart said.
FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt took the conversation a step further, pointing to what he believes is a broader frustration that goes beyond wins and losses. "These fans are frustrated with the culture," Klatt said. Klatt pointed to the targeting penalty on USC safety Desman Stephens II during last week’s loss to Oregon.
After Stephens’ hit knocked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore out of the game, Stephens was seen celebrating and exchanging high-fives with teammates while Moore was being attended to by Oregon’s medical staff. "They’re frustrated with Desman Stephens, and there was nobody that walked up to him and said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to do that anymore,’" Klatt said. There has been plenty of discussion about whether USC could move on from Riley despite the massive buyout that would come with doing so.
"I’m just going to throw up a bit of a caution flag," Klatt said. "There are a lot of people talking about, ‘We need to replace Lincoln Riley.’ It’s not just the $70 million that you’re going to have to spend to buy out Lincoln Riley. You’re going to have to buy out the staff.
You’re going to have to buy out the next coach from his contract. Plus, you’re going to have to build an elite roster. "It’s really like $100 to $120 million that you’ll have to spend to make a change." Klatt believes USC should look no further than Penn State, which moved on from James Franklin last season after coming within reach of the College Football Playoff National Championship the previous season.
"Look at what happened last night," Klatt said, referencing Penn State's 34-13 loss to Northwestern. "There was a program that was this close to the mountaintop, a national finalist, lost a couple games that they thought they should win, and now they just got their head kicked in by Northwestern at Ryan Field all because they felt they needed to make a change." The Trojans entered the season with the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class, but a coaching change could put that talented group at risk.
"All the best coaches in the nation are praying that USC makes a change," Klatt said. "Because all the best coaches — Dan Lanning, Ryan Day, Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin — all of their GMs will be parked in Los Angeles looking at [USC’s young players]." Klatt specifically mentioned freshmen Luke Wafle, Kaden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman as players opposing programs could target if USC were to undergo a coaching change. "I think they have one of the elite freshman classes in all of college football," Klatt said.
Starting over would come with an enormous price tag for the Trojans — financially and potentially on the roster. So would making a change actually put USC in a better position? "When I look at a change," Klatt said, "I don’t think it actually makes them better going forward."
