The USC Trojans entered their high-profile matchup against the visiting Oregon Ducks undefeated at 4-0. They walked away with a stunning 41-27 loss, even after Oregon lost its best player, Dante Moore, early in the second quarter. Lincoln Riley already faced questions about his job security heading into the game, and hot-seat talk has since roared back into the college football conversation.
Things got even worse for Riley after he handed Desman Stephens II, the player responsible for the vicious hit on Moore that sent him to the hospital, just a one-game suspension. Paul Finebaum, never one to mince words, made his feelings about Riley very clear on Monday's episode of "First Take." "Absolutely not, it's an utter disgrace," Finebaum said when asked whether one game was enough of a suspension. "I think what we saw here was a tale of an elite coach and a complete fraud as a coach, and I think everybody knows who the fraud is; it's Lincoln Riley ...
It will cost about $70 million to get rid of Lincoln Riley. But I promise you, USC people, it would be worth it because this guy is bringing your program down to the gutter ... They don't even have the best team in Los Angeles right now; that belongs to UCLA." More news: UNC Breaks Silence on Bill Belichick’s Son Resigning After Allegations Expectations were sky-high for USC entering the 2026 season.
The Trojans landed the nation's top-ranked recruiting class, headlined by five-stars Keenyi Pepe (OT), Luke Wafle (EDGE), and Jaimeon Winfield (DL), and added several key transfers, including wideout Terrell Anderson, cornerback Jontez Williams, and edge rusher Zuriah Fisher. Yet none of it has been enough to change the outlook for Riley, who signed a 10-year, $110 million deal when USC hired him in 2022. The first four wins of the season came against lesser opponents in San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, and Rutgers, and when matched up with real competition, they got blown out at home by a backup quarterback.
More news: Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Gets Heisman Support From Rival SEC Coach More news: Bobby Hauck Under Fire, Out at Illinois After Ohio State Embarrassment With how badly they lost Saturday against Oregon, USC can't afford too many more mistakes if it wants to make the College Football Playoff, which at this point might be the only thing that can save Riley's job. Up next, the Trojans host Washington before matchups at Penn State, at Wisconsin, and against Ohio State and Indiana.
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