‘Disappointed,’ ‘Not Even Hardcore USC Fans Believe This’ — USC Fans Get Vocal As Former Heisman Winner Preaches For Patience With Lincoln Riley

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Few voices carry more weight around USC than a Heisman Trophy winner’s, and Carson Palmer chose to use his to stand up for head coach Lincoln Riley.

This week on “Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Palmer said he believes in Riley and the Trojans, arguing that a 5-1 team still has big games ahead. Palmer spoke against the backdrop of Riley’s job being very much in the spotlight. USC is ranked No. 19, but a 41-27 home loss to Oregon handed Riley his third loss in three meetings with the Ducks.

Two days later, CBS Sports reported, citing industry sources, that USC could part ways with Riley depending on how the season unfolds, despite a buyout believed to be around $70 million.

USC Supporters Take Notice of Carson Palmer’s Lincoln Riley Defense

Palmer, who won the Heisman at USC in 2002, made his position clear on “The Herd.”

“I believe in Lincoln, I believe in the team,” Palmer said. He also argued that one home loss would not define the season. “The games that are in November are the ones everybody remembers, so we’ll forget about this Oregon game at some point once we get away from it a little bit.”

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“Great stuff from USC legend Carson Palmer,” Ryan Dyrud, host of the USC LAFB Show, wrote in a post quoting the Herd w/Colin Cowherd clip.

Part of Palmer’s case rests on youth. He pointed out that the roster is talented but young, and that freshmen need time early in a season.

Freshman receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt caught seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown against Oregon, and freshman defensive end Luke Wafle earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Monday.

Riley made a similar point after beating Washington. “After those bye weeks, you start looking at how many young players are making big contributions for us.”

One USC fan quoting the clip called it the most authentic take from any former Trojan and said Palmer is among the most qualified to judge the program. “He’s currently a championship head coach for a local high school,” the fan pointed out, since Palmer’s coaching SoCal’s Santa Margarita.

Lincoln Riley’s Record Against Ranked Teams Keeps Critics Doubting Carson Palmer’s Take

Not everyone replying to the clip bought in, and the doubters’ case starts with Riley’s results against top competition. He is 5-15 against ranked opponents at USC, according to CBS Sports, and last weekend’s win over unranked Washington did not change that.

One fan argued Riley has yet to land a signature win at USC. “Just not a signature W, not a single one, in LR’s USC tenure.” The fan credited wins over UCLA and Notre Dame in 2022, LSU in 2024, and Michigan last year, but said none were signature wins, before asking whether one would ever come under Riley.

USC hired Riley in 2021 on a 10-year deal worth a reported $110 million. After an 11-3 debut with Caleb Williams at quarterback, his teams went 8-5 in 2023, 7-6 in 2024, and 9-4 last season.

Another fan took aim at Palmer himself. “Disappointed in Palmer. Not even hardcore USC fans believe this.”

The case for patience has numbers of its own. USC averages 37.3 points and 467.8 yards per game, quarterback Jayden Maiava leads the Big Ten with 1,744 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes, and Riley is 16-7 after a loss.

Riley’s team currently ranks 7th in PFN’s Team Offense Impact Metric, but their defense languishes at #96 with a 68.7 grade.

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USC plays at Penn State on Saturday in a White Out game at Beaver Stadium, with the Nittany Lions (3-2) coming off a 34-13 loss at Northwestern.

After the Washington win, Riley said he thought the team would carry a lot of momentum into its next game. “This will be a big game for us, a big opportunity, especially when you look ahead at some of the bye weeks and opportunities here.”

From there, USC visits Wisconsin on Oct. 24 and hosts Ohio State (4-1) on Oct. 31. The November stretch Palmer pointed to brings a trip to Indiana (5-0) on Nov. 14, Maryland at home on Nov. 21, and UCLA in Pasadena on Nov. 28.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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