In 2022, Lincoln Riley’s hiring had stunned the entire college football world. Not only did he sign a 10-year contract with $110 million dollars with the Trojans, but what was even more shocking was the buyout. USC being a private university, the buyout is not public knowledge. But according to reports, the Trojans coach stands to make $90 million should he be fired, making it one of the largest in the country. But despite the associated financial burden, there have been calls to part ways with Riley, and for good reasons.

The 2024 college football season can easily be called the coaches’ nightmare. Be it Sherrone Moore, Ryan Day, or USC mentor Lincoln Riley. Nobody could escape a fire cry. Fans vehemently demand to uproot them after an underwhelming season. While Michigan and Ohio State had their breather with a win over the archrival and a potential national title shot, respectively, there is no excuse left for Trojans and Riley.

The veteran who was once entrusted with the heavy responsibility of bringing back the Trojans’ lost glory now found himself in the hot seat after failing to keep up with the expectations in back-to-back seasons. Coming off two of the worst seasons of his career, finishing 8-5 last season before another sluggish 6-6 in 2024, Riley has his job on the line. So, how long should the Trojans wait for this man to flip the script? Keyshawn Johnson drew a timeline on All Facts No Brakes podcast.

‘‘We got off to his first year, got off to a decent start, we thought we were going to go to the final four, it didn’t happen. Caleb got hurt, and we lost to Utah, so that was over with, and then we got blown out in the Cotton Bowl by two lanes, so that was, you know, a bad deal. As far as his things go with Lincoln, I’m gonna give him, I’m gonna give him till next year. I’m gonna see exactly if he could turn things around and get things going.”

However, fans started running brutal ‘fire Riley’ hashtags on social media after doldrums off the field piling up, too. Just this week, USC star wide receiver Zachariah Branch announced his intent to join another program in the portal, adding up to Riley’s 16 lost players, including quarterback Miller Moss and running back Quinten Joyner. The woes are getting too deep to be healed. Also, on the flip side, Riley isn’t trying to dodge this up in the pro-portal moves.

Top Comment by Tnut99

Moss really wasn’t a great QB for SC. Be it luck with a bunch of raw talent or his actual...more

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“I have no idea what the philosophy is by not putting a net over the West Coast, not just Southern California, but the West Coast. I want the best player out of Seattle, out of Washington, so to speak. I want the best player out of Alaska, I want the best player out of Oregon, I want the best players out of Vegas, I want the best players in California, I want the best players in Arizona, I want to look at all of those guys and I’m gonna cherry pick other states for other players,” Johnson revealed the massive loopholes in Riley’s recruiting pace that pissed him off.

But regardless, the NFL great sees a silver lining in the next year’s schedule. He pinpointed five schools, including Notre Dame. Nebraska, Oregon, UCLA, and Illinois are tough groups and chose to have half faith in Riley till he messed up his ball again. ”If he starts off slow, we got to fire his a-s. If he starts off hot, we got to wait and see,” Johnson came on candidly on the podcast. But despite the slim scope left for a complete around, Riley’s Miller Moss blunder continues to be the talk of the town.

Lincoln Riley lost Miller Moss due to a lack of attention

Lincoln Riley’s decision to make Miller Moss a starting QB proved to be a game-changer. Moss’ power pact play bridged the gap of an underperforming Caleb Williams. He led the team to a terrific 27-20 win over LSU Tigers back in September. Riley was also high on his QB after the early success he staged for the team. The USC head coach even called Moss the smartest in the room. But after just a couple of months, the situation took a pearshape.

USC coach Lincoln Riley has benched quarterback Miller Moss in favor of UNLV transfer quarterback Jayden Maiava. Riley justified his move, noting that they could not really afford the frequent turning of the ball. Moss patiently waited behind Caleb for his turn for over two years.

Upon getting a chance, he showed the world a glimpse of what he could do. Through nine games in the 2024 season, Moss put together 2,555 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions with a 64.4 completion percentage. But Riley rarely gave him the chance to fully bloom under his program.

The standout QB chose his growth and sided with the Louisville Cardinals, and you can’t blame him at all. It remains to be seen how much losing a quarterback like Moss costs Lincoln Riley in a career-turning 2025.