USC’s Lincoln Riley Faces Pressure After AD’s CFP Comments

USC’s Lincoln Riley Faces Pressure After AD’s CFP Comments

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USC’s Lincoln Riley Faces Pressure After AD’s CFP Comments

In 2022, Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley signed a 10-year contract worth $110 million, the same offseason LSU agreed to a mega contract with Brian Kelly. 

The Tigers are now paying Kelly a $54 million buyout after he was fired with a 34-14 record.

Riley, who led Oklahoma to four berths in the College Football Playoff in five seasons, hasn’t sniffed the playoff with USC, despite the tournament expanding from four teams to 12 teams in 2024. He’s 35-18 with the Trojans.

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USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA – NOVEMBER 1: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans and the team get ready to take the field before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 1, 2025 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

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Time is running out for Riley to prove he can win at USC. 

USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen told Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times that the Trojans expect to make the CFP in the upcoming season, and Riley is aware of that fact.

“The expectation has always been the same,” Cohen said. “That’s the thing, that’s the reason why I came here, is that the standard is high. We do expect to make the playoff. We do expect to have a championship run. We do expect to be competing for championships every single year.

“I think that’s what’s awesome about USC, is that that’s what we all expect of it. And I know that I’m not the only one that expects that. I know our fans expect that. I know that he (Riley) expects that. And so I really like this team. I really like the kids that we brought in. I love the returners. I love the leadership of this team.”

Even with Notre Dame out of the picture, the Trojans will have a difficult schedule in the Big Ten. USC will host Oregon and Ohio State. The Trojans play road contests against Penn State and Indiana, who won the 2025 national title.

How USC performs this season could decide the fate of Riley. Since joining the Big Ten, the Trojans have not finished better than tied for fourth place in the conference. 

With what USC is paying Riley, that record is unacceptable.

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