Lincoln Riley’s pricey buyout at USC might not look so pricey, The Herd’s Colin Cowherd argued.
The Trojans suffered a 24-7 road loss to an unranked Wisconsin team, moving to 6-2. Riley’s job security was fairly in the clear after securing the No. 1 recruiting class and a 9-3 regular-season finish.
Not long after conference play began, the buzz around Riley only grew louder. For Cowherd, the idea that Riley would be a good fit for USC no longer seems true.
“I thought Lincoln Riley was going to work at USC. I thought Steve Sarkisian would work at USC. I thought Lane Kiffin was going to work at USC. None have,” Cowherd said on Monday’s edition of The Herd.
Riley had a solid season lined up after a successful offseason. He returned his quarterback in Jayden Maiava, the entire starting offensive line, two star running backs in Waymond Jordan and King Miller, and brought in a top-ranked first-year class. All roads pointed to a breakthrough season for Riley and the Trojans.
For an offensive mastermind, USC’s offensive showing raised multiple questions about Riley’s playcalling. The Trojans finished the day with one passing touchdown, two turnovers, five sacks allowed, and -57 rushing yards.
In his fifth season leading the Trojans, Riley has compiled a 40-20 overall record. However, his current road record speaks to Cowherd’s issue with Riley as USC’s head coach: his road record.
“His primary issue. It’s not complicated. Soft doesn’t travel at home. They’ve been pretty damn good, but on the road, soft doesn’t travel. And Wisconsin was another example.”
Last season, the Trojans finished 2-3 on the road, defeating Nebraska in a fourth-quarter thriller and Purdue 33-17. USC fell to Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon. This season, next to its 31-24 win at Penn State, the road record could play out similarly, with road contests at No. 4 Indiana and a crosstown road trip to No. 7 UCLA to close out the season.
If USC lost only one more game to his next three opponents, No. 2 Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland, and UCLA, Riley would match his 2025 regular season and potentially sneak out of another season with no serious questions about his job.
