USC’s College Football Playoff dreams just went up in smoke after a shocking 27-13 loss to Indiana on Saturday, a defeat that also marked the Hoosiers’ first-ever win against the Trojans. But don’t tell head coach Lincoln Riley he’s not the answer, because he’s still dead set on convincing everyone he is.
Fighting Through The Fire
After that brutal 27-13 drubbing by Indiana, the kind of loss that just kills a season, Riley was asked if he still believes he’s the right man for the job. His answer was an unequivocal “Absolutely.” He doubled down, telling reporters, “I believe in what we’re doing. I believe in myself. I believe in our leadership. I believe in our administration. I believe in everything what’s happening here.” It’s a big statement coming off a game where the team just couldn’t get it done. He even added, “Trust me, there’s nobody that wants it as bad as all of us involved. We know how close we are as a group, we know how close we are as a team. We got a good view of that tonight. We’re gonna keep battling, we will get there and all this will continue to make it more sweet when that time does happen.” That’s a lot of belief when the scoreboard just screamed otherwise.
A Familiar Tune For The Trojans?
This loss drops the Trojans to a 7-3 record, effectively extinguishing any lingering College Football Playoff hopes. For a program with Riley’s pedigree, that’s a tough pill to swallow. This isn’t the first time he’s had to publicly state his commitment, either. Just a couple of weeks ago, after an upset win over Ohio State on October 31, he echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “I said before this game that I’m the right person for this job, and as long as all those people know that, that’s all I care about. I appreciate being a part of this university and all it does. I appreciate all our kids and our staff. And I’m going to continue to fight on because that’s what being a Trojan is all about.”
Since taking over ahead of the 2022 season, Riley’s record at USC stands at 42-21. While that’s a solid win percentage, the major sticking point for the fanbase has to be the absolute lack of a CFP berth. Especially when you remember he led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff three separate times during his tenure there from 2017-21. The pressure has to be building with those kinds of expectations and no ultimate payoff yet.
USC will finish out their 2026 campaign with matchups against Maryland and UCLA. These final two games aren’t just about padding the win column, they’re about finishing strong and maybe, just maybe, showing some of that closeness and fight Riley keeps talking about. Every snap counts when you’re trying to prove you’re the right person for the job.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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