National columnist says Lincoln Riley needs to beat Oregon on Saturday
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
This week, USC will host Oregon in a West Coast clash at the Coliseum. With massive Big Ten and College Football Playoff stakes, it is certainly a huge game for both teams.
On Thursday, I wrote about just how big of a game this is for USC head coach Lincoln Riley. In a recent column, Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports expressed a similar sentiment, arguing that Riley needs to win this game to prove that he has the Trojans to where they want to be.
“Saturday's game against Oregon is the most important game Riley has coached at USC because it's no longer about what USC might become under Riley,” Fornelli wrote. “It's about proving what USC actually is.
“USC is at home. It's undefeated. It has an experienced quarterback [Jayden Maiava] playing well and an offense capable of scoring on anybody. If this is the USC team we've been told is coming, this is the kind of game it wins. If it doesn't, what can we reasonably expect from the rest of the season?
“Can USC beat the best teams on its schedule? Can it hold up defensively? Has the program actually turned the corner, or are we going to spend another offseason being told about how great everything looks around the corner?
“Riley has spent the last few years telling us USC is getting closer. I'd like to believe him, but the problem is USC has been getting closer for too long. Eventually, you have to stop measuring the distance you are away from something. You have to get there.”
Fornelli’s sentiment is certainly in line with that of many others both within USC circles and nationally. A victory Saturday would go a long way towards improving Riley’s reputation within both groups.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: National columnist says Lincoln Riley needs to beat Oregon on Saturday
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos