Lincoln Riley Could Be Coaching For His USC Job Against Oregon

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The USC Trojans are set to host the Oregon Ducks on Saturday night in a massive game for the Big 10 and the college football playoff.

Oregon likely can’t afford another loss, especially with Ohio State,Michigan, and Washington still on the schedule, and after losing to Oklahoma State.

USC, meanwhile, hasn’t been able to get over the hump with Lincoln Riley as head coach, and this year could very well be do-or-die for him.

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Not only is this season do-or-die for Riley, but this game against Oregon could be career-defining for him. If Riley can’t get USC a win over the Ducks, who have struggled this season, the Trojans are unlikely to make the playoffs and his time as their head coach will be over.

The knock on Riley throughout his career is that he hasn’t been able to get over the hump, but this year’s USC team is one of the best rosters he’s ever had. The defense is still an issue, but the offense led by Jayden Maiava is stellar.

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Entering the game, USC is a three-point underdog, so the oddsmakers believe this will be a close game. Both teams’ defenses have struggled this year, so it should be an offensive shootout, which is what Riley is best at.

However, if USC loses, it will solidify his future, as he will likely be fired after the season, if not during the year.

Riley is 39-18 as the head coach of USC, but he’s yet to lead the Trojans to the playoffs.

Lincoln Riley Knows Importance of USC-Oregon Game

USC vs. Oregon is arguably the best game this week, as it has massive stakes for the Big Ten and the playoffs.

Both teams can’t afford to lose the game if they want to reach the playoffs, and the losing team’s coach could very well be on the hot seat. So, ahead of the game, Riley knows the importance of beating Oregon.

“It’s definitely an important game,” Riley said on Tuesday. “There’s no question about it. It’s two good teams, two good programs going at it. It was a really big game last year, too. It had playoff implications and all that. That’s honestly what this game should be. This game should have a lot riding on it, be important, it’s important to the fanbases and it’s important to college football. I think it’s exactly what it should be.”

Although Oregon lost to Oklahoma State and struggled against Boise State, Riley is expecting a much better Ducks team coming into Los Angeles.

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This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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