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The USC Trojans are one of the programs that made the long trek to the Big Ten as part of conference expansion and realignment. One of the coaches in the conference who will have a lot of attention on them is Trojans coach Lincoln Riley.
The USC coach had a lot of expectations on his team last season only to have a down season despite being led by the 2024 NFL No. 1 draft pick and then-reigning Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams.
USC finished 8-5 in 2023 and missed the college football playoffs amid defensive woes that necessitated Riley firing his defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch.
During the SEC media days, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum had a damning verdict on the Big Ten coach's future and accused him of running away from the SEC grind.
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"I think he has an enormous amount to prove because, quite frankly, I think he has been a disaster. Let's go back three years, Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC was announced at this moment in time. What did Lincoln Riley do? He ran away, he did not want to deal with the Southeastern Conference and OU," Finebaum said.
Paul Finebaum roasted Big Ten coach in the past
The Big Ten produced the college football national champions, coach Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines. As a result, USC coach Lincoln Riley will get more attention in the conference than he did when he was part of the Pac-12.
During an appearance on "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning" a few weeks ago, Paul Finebaum again scorched Lincoln Riley, highlighting the recruits decommitting from the program and putting the final nail in his coffin.
“If you look at the reality, the number of players bailing on Lincoln Riley in Southern California is startling,” said Finebaum. “I always thought he was a really good coach. Especially on the offensive side. But I don’t think anyone today views him in that same realm. Quite frankly, I think he’ll be out of Southern California at the end of the season."
The Big Ten coach seems to be one of the coaches among the elite programs in the FBS on the hot season come next season.
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