Lincoln Riley won over many people during his first season at USC, where he led the Trojans to a 10-1 record going into the Pac 12 Championship. The Trojans dropped from fourth to eighth in the College Football Playoff rankings after their defense failed to tackle in the Pac 12 title game. The Trojans finished 8-5 last season, putting the defensive issues from 2022 on full display. Riley had a difficult season in the Pac-12 the previous year, and the Trojans are now a part of the elite Big Ten. Despite starting the season ranked 23rd, the Trojans’ schedule includes ranked opponents in LSU, Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame.
Both teams will be starting new players, and the LSU football team will play USC to start the season. LSU football could start to warm Lincoln Riley’s seat if they win their opening-week game. Lincoln Riley reportedly attempted to have this game removed from the schedule, in addition to the fact that we already know Riley attended USC because he opposed Oklahoma’s admission to the SEC. USC would face an arduous road ahead if they defeated the Trojans, since their only remaining chance to qualify for the Playoffs would be to lose once more. Riley will still be unable to field a strong team if LSU defeats USC by scoring a ton of points.
We’ve seen some crazy cycles in the sport, and the 2021 Coaching Carousel was no exception. Steve Sarkisian, who is currently at Alabama, and Kalen DeBoer, who participated in the National Title game, are both from that class. Lincoln Riley is under pressure to succeed, and Billy Napier is under intense scrutiny as the season begins. Marcus Freeman, Brent Venables, and Brian Kelly have all shown promise, but they’re all aiming for Playoff trips.
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