The USC Trojans suffered their first loss of the 2026 college football season last Saturday, falling to the visiting Oregon Ducks with a 41-27 final score at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This loss featured an ugly moment when USC linebacker Desman Stephens II delivered a massive hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as he gave himself up on a quarterback slide. Stephens celebrated the hit as Moore lay in the fencing response on the field, calling some to question the Trojans' culture under head coach Lincoln Riley.
This recent loss plus the fact that USC has never made the College Football Playoff under Riley has led to some serious frustrations from the fanbase, many of whom are calling for a change at the head coaching position. However, college football analyst Joel Klatt cautioned against a hasty change — especially considering the cost to part ways with Riley. "These fans are frustrated.
I think they're frustrated with the culture," Klatt said. "There's a lot of people where I live talking about 'We need to replace Lincoln Riley.' I just throw a little caution flag at this. It's not just the $70 million that you're going to have to spend buying out Lincoln Riley.
You're going to have to buyout the staff, you're going to have to buyout your next coach from his contract. Plus, you're going to have to build an elite roster. "It's really more like $100-120 million that you would have to spend to make a change." USC will face off against the Washington Huskies at 7:30 p.m.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
