FOOTBALL

Lincoln Riley Makes Some Big Claims About USC

OK, let’s dig into Lincoln Riley’s quotes from last night.

Even though I’ve been Riley’s harshest critic, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt in one respect: He was trying to demonstrate that he wants to be at USC.

But here are the problems:

No. 1) He acted like he was doing USC a favor.

“There’s not many people in college football history that gave up what I gave up to come here,” Riley said.

This is extremely rich. Riley got out of Oklahoma because it was moving to the SEC and he has never wanted to compete in his life. He also doubled his salary. And got the $20 million house in Palos Verdes.

He is a real example of self-sacrifice.

2.) It wasn’t believable.

“Listen, if I didn’t want to be at this place, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place. If I didn’t want to be at this place, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to leave. This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I’m the right person to be here.”

Plenty of opportunities to leave?

If that is true, why did Andy Staples of On3 say Riley’s camp was putting out feelers for jobs after last season? It’s possible he has people talking to Baylor right now.

So his words ring a bit hollow.

57 thoughts on “Lincoln Riley Makes Some Big Claims About USC”

  1. As Neil Peart once famously put it: “And the words of the Profits were written on the studio walls … concert halls.” Whatever the football equivalent is – it will have a picture of the Coyote to illustrate it.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    3. What have anyone of you done for usc football? Riley left Oklahoma and sacrificed to be here. Give him a chance.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Lil’ Lork Riley??? I KNEW you followed this blog religiously!!!

        #StepTwo:ImplementWolfman’sSageAdvice

        Like

      2. KAM: Lookey, Cowardly Gabby is having two of her s o c k puppets engage in fellowship!

        DON: She needs to try harder. That was so obvious.

        Like

  2. Simon and Garfunkel said, “And the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, tenement halls, in the sounds– of silence” but I don’t believe they had football in mind

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Neil Peart didn’t have football in mind … but was commenting on integrity within a profession … which is 100% applicable to the Coyote’s Boomer and Sooner manure.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  4. In year 5, Riley is 41-20. Helton was 46-24 when he was fired.

    By the end of this regular season, Riley will be lucky to be 43-22.

    Like Helton, Riley’s coaching staff, strength training people, etc., have turned over several times. This is nothing more than Helton 2.0, including relatively successful seasons 1 and 2 because of an exceptional QB (Sam and Caleb)( who could win games on their own.

    He is Clay Helton. The bad penny came back. SMDH.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. Comment awaiting moderation….Nice!

    Your comment is awaiting moderation. This is a preview; your comment will be visible after it has been approved.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Scott, your points are well taken. The main problem with LR is that he can’t admit to mistakes. The first step in dealing with any addiction is admitting that you have a problem. Hard to fix anything if you don’t acknowledge the problem..and that is always a self image question. We can see many people in politics or sports who can’t admit that they made mistakes. Protecting a fragile ego is not a way to solve problems. Sometimes people with fragile egos can learn to develop ego strength. I hope that LR can find ego strength in his next job. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    1. Let’s all honor the sacrifice made by coach Riley to be here. What have you ever done for the football program except biatch and moan.

      Like

      Reply

    1. USC stands to lose much more in the long run financially than what they pay Riley – recruits, fan interest, and more tarnish on the school heritage will nullify any perceived savings.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  10. KAM: In season FIVE, Cowardly Sparrow Gabby says we better get used to Riley Coyote?

    DON: We are used to his underachievement and your rah rahs excuses .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Why would Wiley reduce his $70-million buyout over the next 6 years, and don’t forget to factor in the cost of a new coach and staff

        Like

      3. The real John also knew basic math.

        Riley signed a 10 year contract. After this season, he will have been paid for 5 of them. That means he will remain on the payroll for the next 5 years, not 6.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. KAM: And we know Cowardly Gabby never graduated from elementary school.

        DON: There’s your proof Cowardly Gabby is impersonating Sparrow since he left in a huff 2 years ago.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Stranger things have happened. I will root for SC to beat The Ohio Buckeyes in a close punch drunk slug fest.

      I’m ready to go anywhere
      I’m ready for to fade
      Into my own parade
      Cast your dancing spell my way
      I promise to go under it

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Yes, but not one of those 7 wins came post-Pete … but the 1 did … Urban renewal over the corpse of Wiley’s predecessor in failure Helton (despite having Darnold, Jones, and Jackson) …

      I recall a game just prior to that where Helton faced a team considering which of two QBs to play … the freshman who didn’t start came on to oversee a horrible beating (despite fumbling the first snap he handled) …

      That is to say the rah-rahs thinking that the QB change is going to alter the outcome … not a chance when facing Wiley …

      Ohio State 34 USC 13

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I suspect that the buckeyes may call a very conservative game and score less than 34, but I don’t doubt the outcome of an L for the Trojans.

        Liked by 3 people

      2. 67

        I am anticipating the Buckeyes defense creating multiple turnovers …

        And with the two weeks to prepare … and against a defense that just isn’t very good …

        Defenses historically have eaten alive inexperienced QBs by applying constant pressure, but doing so requires the ability to play press man-to-man (or tight zone that amounts to the same effect by forcing QBs to throw deep by taking away all of the easy short stuff) to a significant degree. I don’t see anything in USC’s play that suggests they have any ability to replicate whatsoever what the teams that have given OSU trouble recently (Miami and Indiana beat them at the point of attack with big man football, and Texas had the size to do so when Day took his foot off the pedal in the season opener).

        Liked by 3 people

  15. KAM: This new quarterback for Ohio St, Cool Hand Luke, is the real deal and I don’t believe there will be much of a dropoff from the injured quarterback Sayin

    DON: That’s what Ohio St is sayin’

    KAM: This suddenly looks like a tougher game for SC than I had first imagined

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Tougher too because Day has been preparing two QBs for the game during the bye … as stated in a previous comment, brings to mind Saban having two QBs (and in particular the second option, Jalen Hurts) ready for the 52-6 shellacking of Helton in 2016 … Day hasn’t always been the greatest coach, but I suspect he won’t hesitate to pull a string if the first option doesn’t get off to a good start against USC’s subpar defense.

      Like

      Reply

  16. KAM: A beloved college football tradition that was a longtime favorite for players in the Rose Bowl Game has been sidelined at Lawry’s The Prime Rib on La Cienega Boulevard thanks to the demise of The Granddaddy of Them All.

    The Beef Bowl, where players from the champion Big Ten and Pac 12 teams sat down each year for a hearty prime rib dinner before facing each other on the gridiron in Pasadena on Jan. 1, was a pregame event that started in 1956. The opposing teams dined at the restaurant on different days leading up to the Rose Bowl Game, consuming hundreds of pounds of beef (Illinois set a record in 2007 with 870 pounds) along with Lawry’s signature chilled spinning salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, and dessert.

    The Beef Bowl, last held at the end of 2023, was discontinued due to changes under the College Football Playoff format, which relegated the once great Rose Bowl game to a mere playoff game, which started with the 2024 season.

    “The Lawry’s Beef Bowl was a very important tradition for the Tournament of Roses. Unfortunately, with the changes to the CFP Playoff which the Rose Bowl Game is a part of as a quarterfinal host, our participating teams do not arrive to town until Dec. 29. Due to those schedule changes, we are no longer able to hold the event before game day,” said Karen Linhart, marketing and media director, Rose Bowl Game, for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

    DON: All tradition is being lost.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. A shame for sure. Never got to go to the “real one,” but did get to go the one in Vegas, and it was fantastic. I remember when the ‘bloom came off’ in the early 2000s with the BCS BS (although to be fair it led to the development of a playoff system that should eventually be good once geographic sanity is restored to the play-in component). Nebraska-Miami followed by Oklahoma-Wazzou … then two years later Texas-Michigan … well, things change. Worked my way through undergrad at Applebee’s – never thought they would be on the endangered species list, but here we are …

      Like

      Reply

  18. KAM: There was talk that Wiley got a 1-year extension at the beginning of his SC tenure

    DON: SC doesn’t have to publicize its contracts, so Wiles’ contract situation is all speculation

    Like

    Reply

    1. Some claim that was a rumor. Some say it’s valid.

      Who knows? Either way, it’s paid out over the remaining term. There are a lot of people speculating that he would be a good fit at Baylor. If he’s lucky enough to get a head coaching gig, that would reduce our “buyout” amount quite a bit.

      Brian Kelly’s CBS gig hardly makes a dent in what LSU is paying him through 2031. But he is 64 and much less likely to be able to land a decent coaching gig than a 43 year old.

      Like

      Reply

  19. Kam: “The times they are a’changin,” especially in the college football world

    DON: NIL and the portal transfers were thought to be the ruin of college ball, and yet here we are with parity leveling the playing field

    Like

    Reply

    1. This is the most ‘balanced’ football season I believe since the 1990s? I think NIL has provided more equity than anyone believed was possible. No longer ‘under the table’ favors to entice players to attend (fill in the blank) and previous powers are suddenly in real decline.

      Many loathe the 24 proposed playoff but that will finally end ‘the princess’ annual pumping of their ‘independent’ status.

      Sole missing piece is how long Lincoln Riley’s reign of incompetency lasts.

      Like

      Reply

  20. My prediction for Saturday it’s a shocker.

    USC 31

    OSU 28

    USC shocks the world with an actual game plan this time based on running the football, and some long passing plays on 1st and 2nd down. USC comes back to win on a last minute FG after trailing 21 to 7 af halftime with strong pressure on the OSU freshman QB in the second half.

    We shall see I think it will be close at the end only because OSU is starting a freshman qb.

    This is Riley’s last chance……or it’s over!

    Like

    Reply

  22. KAM: I don’t believe in kicking a man when he’s down such as Wiley

    DON: Well all he has to do is pick himself up, shake off the dust, and then go out and win some games he isn’t supposed to

    Like

    Reply

Leave a Reply