It was supposed to be a hype train for USC this season, but the kickoff photos from Saturday’s 42-26 win over San Jose State are telling a different story, and it’s a rough one for Lincoln Riley. They announced 51,144 in the house for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum opener, but if you saw the pictures, buddy, vast sections of that historic stadium looked straight-up abandoned. We’re talking about a preseason top-15 squad with a Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback, five-star freshmen making their debuts, and legitimate College Football Playoff expectations. And fans aren’t showing up. What gives?
LA’s Heatwave vs. Riley’s Hype Machine
Okay, look, we get it. The game was at noon in a Los Angeles heatwave, with temperatures hitting the mid-90s and the heat index blasting past 100. Plenty of fans on social media were citing those brutal conditions as their reason to stay home, and who can blame them? Nobody wants to bake in a concrete oven watching their team beat a four-touchdown underdog. But let’s be real, that heat only explains part of this. Lincoln Riley didn’t have to deal with this kind of apathy back in Norman, Oklahoma, where the Sooners were *the* show. Los Angeles is an event town, absolutely, but that also means the Dodgers own the summer and early fall, and the Lakers gobble up attention all year. USC and UCLA often fight for scraps, especially when they’re not nationally relevant. But USC *is* relevant right now. This isn’t just about the weather, it’s about whether the city actually cares.
Riley’s Promises Aren’t Enough Anymore
This is where the real problem hits Riley. After four seasons that haven’t quite delivered, the fans are demanding tangible results, not just promises. The dude is making $12.5 million, the Trojans just dropped $200 million on a new football facility, and they just snagged their first No. 1 signing class in over two decades. Riley even mentioned how much he’s “sacrificed” to be coaching there. But all the recruiting rankings, preseason hype, and quarterback accolades? They just aren’t cutting it anymore. Fans saw Caleb Williams win the Heisman, and they still watched the program miss the College Football Playoff. They endured defensive collapses, frustrating Big Ten results, and rivalry losses that just drained all the excitement from Riley’s arrival. The Coliseum looked empty for a reason, and it’s because the fans have heard the sales pitch too many times.
So, what’s next? Riley needs to change the equation, plain and simple. Preseason hype and a flashy roster aren’t going to fill those seats or win over a notoriously flighty fanbase. The only cure that actually works is winning games that matter. That means handling the Big Ten’s heavyweights and rolling into November with legitimate playoff aspirations. The city needs a reason to believe the Coliseum is hosting something more important than another television production.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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