Lincoln Riley continues to catch fire ahead of the spring season. After finishing at a disappointing 7-6, the Trojans’ head coach was literally left with no answer to justify where they headed wrong in their first Big 10 year after leaving the Pac-12. Riley was the one who sounded hyper-enthusiastic about the new adventure a year back. He said that he couldn’t wait to play the games the Big 10 has to offer. As we all saw, these words were nothing but hollow. But what could be a possible wound healer to Riley’s third wasted season in Los Angeles? Well, it’s an implausible benchmark for Lincoln Riley and his team.

The USC Trojans ended their season with a 35-31 win in the Las Vegas Bowl, but that doesn’t improve a six-loss record. It’s hard to argue what Riley can do to make his whopping $110 million job secure for another year; you might put a minimum pass mark of 8-4 or 9-3 to ensure the slow yet sure upward movement, at least. But when you see from a veteran analyst’s cogent point of view, the Trojans need to not only just swing big but smack big. And what does it exactly vouch for?

Joe DeLeone, during the February 17th episode of The Ruffino & Joe Show, set the bar clear for the veteran head coach, noting, ‘‘What you were paying him and why you brought him in was to compete for the Big 10 championship games that have not been accomplished; he hasn’t even gotten to a playoff in the three years that he’s been there.”

Paul Finebaum, who was arguably the most vocal critic of the USC head coach, repeatedly criticized him for his lackluster performance at South California over a three-year period. Whether from the recruitment perspective or the winning statistics, USC ran behind in its potential. Analyst JD Pickell believes pacing up in the in-state recruitment race and vying for a national championship after suffering a mass exodus in the portal would be the key to a successful 2025 for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. But looking at the nasty trend of the program, it is difficult to keep fingers crossed.

Weighing in on a doomsday scenario, analyst DeLeone added, ”They have taken steps backward; they have regressed year-over-year. What has been the bright spot? The bright spot was a year in which they got smoked in the Pac-12 championship game and lost to a G5 program in a bowl game. I don’t know what Riley has done enough to buy himself more time, other than the fact that his contract is enormous and that his buyout is probably too significant for them to be willing to pay at the current moment.”

Comparing the present Trojans’ situation to that of the time under Pete Carroll, one of the most stupendous recruiters in history, it seems like a forgotten daydream. Another analyst, Brian Smith, suggests another life support for Riley and a dwindling USC Trojans to make their 2025 look a bit better than usual.

Lincoln Riley asked to give up his play-calling role

Riley has successfully reached the saturation point of patience among veterans and fans. Now, it’s high time to take some action and get the ball rolling. So, apart from the portal, what can he do to ensure more feasibility into another challenging year in the Big 10? Well, simply, he can simply follow in the footsteps of none other than the Natty-winning coach Ryan Day.

As per Smith, the biggest issue under their belt was Lincoln Riley’s playcalling. Ryan Day made a big move ahead of the past season. He gave up on his ego as an excellent play-caller for the team and put it upon Brian Hartline, giving himself room to look into the other significant loopholes. The man clinched a Natty as follows. So, no matter how simple it might sound, the move really worked on him.

Smith argued that despite bringing in Chad Bowden, the new general manager for USC, Riley should be flexible at the playcalling right now. Big 10 insider Jeff McMichael also supported the notion. But for the time being, it doesn’t seem to be a feasible case. There has been no indication that Riley is looking to make such a move.