Urban Meyer Puts Serious Pressure On Lincoln Riley Ahead Of Oregon vs. USC

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Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is applying some pressure on Lincoln Riley ahead of this Saturday’s game between No. 20 Oregon and No. 12 USC.

When USC named Riley its head coach in November 2021, the fan base in California assumed he’d bring the program back to its glory days. Since going 11-3 in his first season, however, he’s been unable to reach double-digit wins with the Trojans.

The good news for USC is that Riley’s squad is off to a 4-0 start this fall. The bad news though is all of that momentum will be erased with a loss to Oregon.

During an appearance on “The Herd” this Friday, Meyer said Saturday’s game has officially entered must-win territory for Riley.

“You got some tough ones coming up for USC now. They have Ohio State and Indiana. This is one of those ones, and every coach at some point has to have a signature [win]. This is not the Oregon team we thought we’d see this year. This is low-hanging fruit for USC,” Meyer said. “I hate to say it but I think this is one of those games for Lincoln Riley that he has to win.”

Lincoln Riley is embracing the moment.

While speaking to the media earlier this week, Riley made it clear he won’t run away from the challenge Oregon presents.

“This game should have a lot riding on it and be important,” Riley said, via OregonLive.com. “It’s important to the fanbases and it’s important to college football. I think it’s exactly what it should be and we’re excited about it. Our guys are excited to play.”

If USC wants to take down Oregon this Saturday, it’s imperative star quarterback Jayden Maiava plays up to his potential.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Sep 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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