Lincoln Riley’s time at USC hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. The team that used to be a powerhouse hasn’t been winning like it used to. Even though they’re moving to the Big Ten, Riley’s still pretty chill about it. He says, “You have to embrace it, you have to enjoy it.” 

Talking to the Big 10 media, he got all emotional about the team’s legacy and how special it is to be part of USC history. “With that tremendous opportunity and to not miss it, to enjoy the ride together,” says the HC stressing on his coaching days ahead. He said he wants to make the most of every moment as ‘time flies quickly.’ But not everyone’s on board with the Riley hype and emotions.

Sportscaster Paul Finebaum is definitely not a fan. He’s been really tough on Riley lately, and so on the July 24th ESPN show. Finebaum thinks Riley is great at producing Heisman-winning quarterbacks, but brutally adds, “That doesn’t make one bit of difference in terms of trajectory.” “Last season was a hot mess at the end that this team crashed and burn with the best player in college football and I don’t like the future,” he added bluntly.

Finebaum also hammered USC’s defense, saying they keep making the same mistakes. He pointed out that they hired a new defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, but it won’t change anything. He thinks Riley only cares about offense and thus added, “He only knows one side of the ball and I think that’s going to keep them out of the playoffs and get Lincoln Riley in trouble.” 

Now, Finebaum seems to have a bone to pick with Riley, constantly throwing jabs his way.

Paul Finebaum slams Lincoln Riley

Paul Finebaum is not holding back! He’s been a constant critic of Lincoln Riley, especially since his move from Oklahoma to USC. Finebaum argues, “He [Riley] did not want to deal with the Southeastern Conference at OU.” The sportscaster points to Riley’s final seasons at Oklahoma, where he suffered 2 pathetic losses at Oklahoma State and Baylor. And thus says, Riley “ran away” from there.

Now, even after joining the USC Trojans, the ESPN analyst called his work “terrible.” He downplayed his 11-3 and 8-5 seasons, crediting the success to quarterback Caleb Williams. But Finebaum didn’t stop there. Talking to the SEC Network last week, he added another jab: “I think [Riley has] lost the momentum… And I think he’s losing badly.” He then offered a bizarre solution, saying, “I believe the answer after this season is Deion Sanders. He’s going to be tired of Colorado because, quite frankly, it’s not prime time.” Thus, Finebaum quickly shifted from roasting Riley to Deion Sanders in a fraction.

But, despite these harsh criticisms, Riley seemed unfazed, enjoying his time with his crew. Let’s see if a better season from Riley can silence Finebaum or if the criticisms continue.