"It's still infuriating": USC fans express exhaustion at yet another underachieving year from Lincoln Riley's Trojans

College football analyst Joel Klatt offered his opinion on the current situation at USC on Wednesday. The Trojans are 3-4 so far this season but all of the losses have been tough ones with the team letting things slip away in the fourth quarter. The late-game scenarios have seen them lose all four games by just 14 points.

Klatt thinks this is a sign that the Trojans are not that far away from being good.

“They are in every game,” Klatt said on ‘The Joel Klatt Show’ on Wednesday. “There's nothing glaring telling you it's not even close. It is close. You might be frustrated as a Trojans fan and I understand that you might want to yell and scream, ‘No, this is not it’ but it is close.

“You can’t argue with that fact, that's what the numbers suggest. Four losses by a total of 14 points, that's close. You might not like it but that's the truth.”

While many USC fans agree with the take of Joel Klatt, it remains frustrating for them to watch the Trojans underachieve once again under Lincoln Riley. The team finished with a 7-5 record in 2023 and are once again struggling this season. Here’s a look at some of the reactions online:

"I agree but it's still infuriating. It's a painful transitional season. Expecting big things in the next couple of years. ✌🏾"

"Yeah I don’t want to hear it 🤷🏾‍♂️✌🏽," another fan said.

Other reactions to Klatt's opinion:

"Trojan fans want to hear it. But they don't believe it," a fan wrote.

"I can’t tell you how hard this is to hear lmao. I want to be good again so bad," another fan wrote.

"No room for logic here, just emotion. I want some butts!" another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, another fan put the blame squarely on Lincoln Riley's shoulders.

"Man, after year 1 of Lincoln.. we were close.. everyone knew what had to be done after the Tulane debacle. Instead Lincoln started this downward spiral we're in now by staying with Grinch. Of course with more talent we're gonna be better but that's not the concern..," another said.

Joel Klatt sees USC eventually getting it right under Lincoln Riley

While it doesn’t really look so good at the moment, Joel Klatt sees Lincoln Riley eventually getting it right with time at USC. The team has undoubtedly shown glimpses of brilliance this season on both sides of the field, which something could be built upon.

“For me, it could just be any tipping point,” Klatt said. “They could be the next domino. They win their next close game and guess what, like Pete Caroll told his team all the way back in the early 2000s, ‘We don't have to lose anymore.’

“You could be looking at this as the bottom of USC football under Lincoln Riley, think about it that way… I'm telling you right now, this could absolutely be the bottom. Will it be, I'm not sure. I'm not telling you it is the bottom but it could be. Because that tipping point from losing small to winning small happens that quick.”

USC might be out of consideration for the College Football Playoff this season with four losses, but a bowl game is still achievable. The Trojans can come back as a much better team in the 2025 college football season, addressing the few lapses this season.

The Trojans’ first season in the Big Ten has been a disappointment, but they could still salvage their campaign by ending the season strong. They are scheduled to play Rutgers, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA, and Notre Dame in the remaining part of the season.