Is Lincoln Riley’s USC Reign on the Brink of an Explosive Turning Point?

“I give a lot of credit to our administration … because it’s very apparent that USC is extremely serious about making this football program and returning it back to being one of the greats in college football,” Riley said to reporters Thursday at Big Ten media day in Las Vegas.USC coach Lincoln Riley walks on the field during a timeout against Nebraska at the Coliseum on Nov. 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)The Trojans have stabilized their front office with sharp athletic director Jen Cohen and highly regarded general manager Chad Bowden. They’ve made huge monetary investments in infrastructure and recruiting.Sign up for more USC news with Times of Troy. In your inbox every Monday morning.

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USC football has become a mirage.AdvertisementTake the 2025 schedule. It’s the lightest in years. The Trojans don’t play Ohio State. They don’t play Penn State. They don’t play Indiana. They play Michigan at the Coliseum.During that same span, Ohio State has 10 major bowl victories.AdvertisementFor sure. For real.AdvertisementCertainly, that’s a lot of mandated wins. But at some point, the Trojan administration has to start demanding that they become the Trojans again, and that time is now.