It started with Notre Dame and Utah in October, then Washington and UCLA in November. Despite a good start to their 2023 season, the USC Trojans, under head coach Lincoln Riley, dug a hole for themselves and kept on digging further. But sometimes you can’t dig your way out of a hole. Who was to blame? Was it the defense? It doesn’t matter because Coach Riley thought so and got rid of his defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch, on November 5. Did their fortunes change? Oh, hell no! They lost to Oregon and UCLA after that. 

The Trojans HC has now confirmed the reason, and it has surprised absolutely no one! Lincoln Riley revealed in an interview that he talked to USC strength coach Bennie Wylie back in November 2023 about their performance. This was when the Trojans were going through a rough patch. Riley told his strength coach what fans have long believed to be true. The Trojans were not strong enough, both on offense and defense. For Coach Riley, the pathway to gain physical strength did not have to wait till January after the Holiday bowl. “This initiative start now, here in late November, and so we did.” 

On December 1, Lincoln Riley hired D’Anton Lynn, the defensive coordinator who held the Trojans’ offense to 20 points when they played UCLA. Before Lynn joined, the plan to bulk up was already underway. Together with their new defensive coordinator, they made it “a priority every step of the way.” As per the official X account of the Trojans, this plan helped the entire team gain around 1400lb. Jonah Monheim, the offensive lineman who’d be playing center this year, confirmed the same. “I had to put 15 pounds, which is just something I needed to do, regardless of position change.” After seeing the transformation of the team, Coach Riley sang praises for Bennie Wylie and the nutrition coach. 

What can we expect from Lincoln Riley’s bulked-up Trojans in 2024?

It won’t be wrong to say that analysts do not have a favorable view of Coach Riley’s tenure at USC. One ESPN analyst called it the worst coaching job he has ever seen. While these are rather harsh words, Lincoln Riley’s two years at USC did not have a similar success as his time in Oklahoma. Additionally, the Trojans will not have the services of Caleb Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner who led their offense in the last two seasons. They may have found an answer in Miller Moss, who looked good during the Holiday Bowl. Their receivers’ room is inexperienced, but Riley is among the best offensive minds in college football. The team is likely to figure its offense out.  

The main worry is defense. During the 2023 season, the Trojans’ defense leaked 34.4 points/game. New defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has a huge task on his hands. His track record of improving defenses can be gauged by his team’s performance at UCLA. He improved them from 111th position in college football to eighth in expected points in his first year at the Bruins. That must be music to the ears of Trojans’ fans. A repeat of that performance, and Coach Riley must have something to celebrate at the end of the season. How do you think the Trojans will fare this season? Tell us your opinions in the comments!