FOOTBALL

Analysis: Another Epic Failure For Lincoln Riley

Lincoln Riley finds new ways to lose and embarrass USC.

How does he blow a 10-point lead to TCU and its backup QB in the final five minutes?

How does USC let a third-and-20 in overtime turn into a 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass?
Do you still think this season showed progress? Do you trust Riley to lead USC to success?

What amazes me is people are worried about Notre Dame keeping USC out of the College Football Playoff. Do these people watch the games? USC has shown nothing to suggest it is ready to challenge Ohio State, Oregon or Indiana next year.

Lincoln Riley has lost 15 games in the past 3 years at USC but the diehard fanboys still say he’s making progress.

The truth is USC still needs to improve its tackling and blocking, the basics of football. After four years, USC is still not a physical football team.

Riley said after the game it has been four “fun but challenging years” to open USC’s window but the window is open now. Is he serious? Maybe he should jump of the window.

It’s astounding that some fans want to entrust the program to this buffoon while letting him destroy the USC-Notre Dame rivalry.

The diehards already had their excuses ready last night, complaining that the Trojans fielded a young bowl team. But how hard was it for three guys (who all played quite a bit during the season) to simply knock a tailback out of bounds on the final play?

D’Anton Lynn wasn’t there but the Dawg Work-led defense looked suspiciously familiar as it fell apart in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Don’t let the offense off the hook either.Jayden Maiava was off most of the night and USC could not do anything with first-and-goal at the 2-yard line in OT.

Did you know Tanook Hines, who had 163 yards receiving, wasn’t even on the field for third-and-goal at the 5-yard line in OT?

Where does this choke job rank for Riley? How does it compare to the Tulane loss his first season? Or the losses to Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State and Maryland last year?

No wonder he has done everything possible to avoid Notre Dame. He can’t even beat short-handed TCU.

50 thoughts on “Analysis: Another Epic Failure For Lincoln Riley”

  1. I stayed up to see this analysis —knowing it would be spot on. For the umpteenth time Lincoln rates Scott’s wrath. Relatives have already called to laugh at the way USC collapsed on the final play [“It was better than we could hope for”].

    What makes it even worse was Lincoln couldn’t even accept responsibility for the softness his team showed. He actually threw the players under the bus at his presser [“We put them in position, they just didn’t execute”]….

    #HeDoesn’tGetIt…

    #OnceAgainHe’sMadeMyBruinLovingIn-LawsVeryHappy

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    1. I have this funny feeling new UCLA Bruin HC Bob Chesney is going to make things more challenging/worse for Lincoln Riley.

      #BobChesney>LincolnRiley

      #CrosstownShowdown

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    3. So right MG- I still can’t believe we are sitting here 4 years later saying the same fing thing about LR. Bottom line in this quack will always be a quack because real coaches solve their weaknesses with time- this d@ck ignores them. Speaking of the games final play, He actually had the balls to say this postgame- “there wasn’t a lot of times this year where we missed multiple tackles on the same play” . This perfectly showed how disconnected he is from reality.

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      1. Jeff –It’s even worse: Riley said “we have missed multiple tackles before ….but this time it came at the worst possible moment.” Implicit premise: the OTHER times it happened it wasn’t so bad [or in other words, it didn’t cost the game]. The problem? It DID cost the Michigan game. It did cost the Utah game. It did cost the Tulane game. It did cost the Maryland game.

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    4. It has become such a pattern that Riley can’t finish a game. Which means that he will never succeed in the playoffs.

      Maiava had two terrible picks, almost reminiscent of the 2024 ND game. If Riley is supposed to the QB whisperer, how does that happen? A family friend trains QBs with Jeff George, and he told me “every session we drill into them “don’t throw it to the opposing team.”

      On the bright side, USC might have another Ja’Kobi Lane who can make one-hand catches.

      And on the viewer interest side, it is absolutely awful to have these bowl games and have 2 dozen players out because of the portal, etc.

      That is such a fail that the NCAA needs to fix. But they have never fixed anything going back in time, so I won’t hold my breath.

      Hope that young Arenas can bring a spark to USC mens hoops. Otherwise, what a bitter way to end the football season.

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      1. The more Riley talked about “a 10 win season” the more I realized he thought this game was a gimme. “Oh boy, 10 wins as of December 30!” This was another instance of underestimating the opposition’s will to win — same as against Tulane when he told Mario Williams “Wanna have some fun? Why don’t you take this kick?”…..

        #AsOfNowRileyHasONEQualityWin:LSU…

        #…AndThatCameCourtesyOf….AManNamed…..BrianKelly

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  3. KAM: With 2:00 left in the first half down 14-10, USC has the ball on the 17 yard line and is easily moving the ball. Yet instead of having their experienced QB Maiava pick apart the TCU defense with short passes in the classic Two Minute Drill, Riley Coyote the play caller runs the ball twice , has the offense huddle twice in no apparent hurry as 70 seconds run off the clock. Then, with 24 seconds left, with the ball on the 11 yard line, instead of going for the first down, he has Maiava throw a lob deep in the end zone that is batted away and settles for a field goal and SC goes into the half losing 14-13 to depleted TCU. He had TCU’s defense on the ropes and let up. He has done this over and over the last 4 years.

    DON: Charles Barkley would call that turrible clock management. Absolutely infuriating!

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  4. Lincoln just keeps on stinkin. Self-awareness? Accepting responsibility? No shows. Hand the offensive (as in insolent) whizz (as in pi$$) an IOU and a bus ticket back to Muleshoe, Jen. Please.

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    1. Not only was Seals a backup QB. He hadn’t started a game since Nov 11, 2023, when he was at Vanderbilt!!

      Clay could have done what Riley did last night for half the cost.

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  5. I am sick and freaking done with Riley and USC football…as they are now.

    I have no desire to watch the train wreck that USC has become-any longer

    Since USC football is okay with settling for mediocrity, bring back Helton

    #He’sMuchEasierOnTheWallet.EffRiley!

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  6. This game was a coaching loss, pure and simple. The play calling on offense and defense was sporadic at best and horrible at worst. The three man rush on third and long has never worked, but the DC keeps going to it; that is insanity. When they were aggressive with a five man front; they were very good, and then for some inexplicable reason they stopped being aggressive. That is on the coaches. On offense with first and goal at the two yard line; they don’t go under center and use the Bush push. Where is the running QB with the fake handoff to the RB? Where was the play that got the two point conversion. They had three lost opportunities in the red zone because of bad play calling. No real tight end play and I know that they were the second stringers, but they are on scholarship. Did the ends practice with Maiava during the past three weeks. There were no easy catches. If not for the two spectacular catches, the passing offense wasn’t present all night. And the first and second down runs into the heart of a stacked defense was inexcusable. I try to be positive, but it is impossible with this coaching staff. If this insanity continues next year, it will be another wasted and embarrassing year. And, the athletic administration will need to bite the bullet and let Riley go just like LSU did with Brian Kelly. I also have a feeling that UCLA got a good coach to rebuild their team just like Cignetti did with Indiana. Hire a coach, any coach, who has a proven record of building a complete team and not a glorified QB guru. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962. P.S. I’m sorry Scott for doubting you, but please give the ND tradition a rest….that is as much on ND as USC.

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    2. Ambitious [My favorite character on Disney’s Spin & Marty, btw], Lincoln has a strange love/hate relationship with the end zone. He wants inside…but, in big games, he’s afraid of it. His play calling inside the 10 yard line in critical moments in big games proves it. No one can say for sure but the chances are high we coulda got in from the 2 yard line if we faked the handoff and Jayden took it in himself —as we have done multiple times this year in less dramatic settings. But THIS time it was for the WIN in a BOWL GAME…and Lincoln just had to blow it.

      Prediction: Lincoln will field a very good product next year. USC will hang in there against the best teams they play —Ohio State, Indiana, Oregon and Washington —before losing by a point or two in the final minutes.

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  7. Riley is horrid , never changes, takes no responsibility for anything, , he will never be a good head coach , his dumbing down the sked to try to get to 10 wins is embarrassing, buy him out like every other serious program dies , he has turned USC into a national joke of a football program

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  8. Why are we being tortured_ can’t we fire his a$$ for cause? I mean he’s cost us fans 4 years of frustration with each loss looking the same. Certainly, based on the fan base and SC’s reputation ( what’s left of it anyway), it’s caused irreparable damage.
    Please fire him- please , the torture can’t go on

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  9. Scooter,

    I asked what would happen if Riley lost. He lost the game. Now what? SC’s qb was throwing quails instead of passes. He is throwing off his back foot. He is playing scared or he thinks he is invinciable. interceptions and one in the end zone. You will get the same result next year if you keep Riley.

    Riley needs to schedule just like nd, a bunch of easy teams. He needs to be let go.

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  10. Please fire him – please! Can’t SC fire him for cause- he’s caused irreparable damage to our reputation and caused unrelating pain to the fan base- with nothing to say we are improving. We are no better ( actually worse) than Illinois! That is not SC football what is on display now.

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  11. the most glaring mismatch in this game was obviously coaching: cagey ol’ Sony Dykes crafted a masterful game plan for his novice QB who started his first game since high school. he got his team up for the game and they excelled in the clutch. meanwhile, SLR’s team was lackluster absent a few fantastic catches by the wide outs.

    #KeepYourHandsOffChesney

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      1. Yul Brynner musta been a Trojan –his last words in “The Magnificent Seven”: “We lost. We always lose.”

        #OnlyTheBigGames,Yul

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  12. Instead of buying another five star, could the boosters put together some money to get a student to seduce him or plant drugs or otherwise frame him for something so we can fire him for cause and not pay the buyout. This would have a bigger impact on the program than any recruit we could get.

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    2. I know two Trojan cops who would be delighted to plant gram bags of coke in his coat pockets at his birthday party…..

      [In the alternative, have someone who can impersonate Riley’s voice give Jen a call after he’s left for the day. Have the guy say “we need to meet.” Then put a half empty bottle of whiskey, an open jar of Vaseline and a children’s bathing suit catalog on his desk]……

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  13. Google A. I. answer to “what are chances Riley is let go midway thru 2026?” –“If 2026 begins to look like a disaster, Riley will likely not survive the hot seat he’s built for himself.”

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  14. the last possession for the Trojans in regulation they had third and six was under four minutes to go and instead of going for the first down they throw a 30-yard pass down field. What kind of play calling is that get the first down bleed the clock you don’t need to score again. I just don’t understand Riley’s game management.

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      2. That’s not her only hypocrisy. If you don’t like it, quit watching?! Same thing we’ve told her about visiting the blog and crying about everyone’s posts.

        If you are just going to cry, please stay away. So many people have suggested this.

        Liked by 2 people

      4. Sybil [caught off base]: “No work involved [in my entire life]”

        #ProveOtherwise,Punchy

        #[“BeatingDeanMartinInPoker”Doesn’tCount]

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Yes, it’s hilarious the lies & excuses she makes up for her behavior. She takes the George Costanza approach: “It’s not a lie, if YOU believe it.”

        Liked by 2 people

  15. Riley does not care. he goes through the motions as if it is just a practice. He has no concept of being a tatics master, no fire in the belly, nothing. Just another pencil neck geek that Freddu Blase warned us about.

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  16. Riley does not coach the USC brand of football. He coaches soft. He has no character. He is not introspective when seeking to improve. He ignores tradition. He ignores former USC football players. He ignores alumni. He has no answers and blames his players or anyone and anything else for his failures. The TCU game, and the Tulane bowl game in his first season, were eerily similar. And this is a case in point. He does not foster a killer instinct in his players. His defense is not predatory. His offensive gameplan is weak sauce, relying on the officials to call pass interference with regularity. He has avoided emphasis on consistent dominant O and D line play. In simpler parlance, LR does not fundamentally understand the game, or the Trojan brand of football. Under his watch, USC football has become an unrecognizable shadow of its former self. We used to be the bad boys of the PAC12, and everybody was afraid to play us. We no longer inspire that dread in other teams. Instead, LR has made us a gimmicky, soft, flashy and pass centric bantamweight team that will always be on the outside of the CFP looking in, and next year will be no exception given the brutal schedule. Truly a sad state of affairs.

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    2. Riley’s retort [after the Oregon game]: “That is the dumbest remark I ever heard [remark, btw, was “Do you feel the team is regressing under your leadership?”]. Riley went on to say “You try it!! I’m a professional!” The journalist doesn’t have to try it, Lincoln —he’s doing HIS job. You’re the one who needs to look in the mirror. Anyone who has lost 4th quarter leads against Michigan, Penn State, Maryland, Utah, Tulane and TCU is doing something wrong…

      #FixThings…

      #…OrDoTheHonorableThing….

      #…And…

      #Resign After The Next Big Fail

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    1. 100%!!

      I ALMOST FORGOT —HAPPY NEW YEAR, GENTS!!!!

      [HAPPY NEW YEAR, GEORGE —SORRY MY UNTOWARD REMARKS TO THE LITTLE WOMAN DISAPPOINTED YOU —I WON’T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN]!!!!

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