Watch: USC’s Lincoln Riley gets drenched in creamy eggnog soak after Trojans spectacular 42-28 win in Holiday Bowl

The University of Southern California hired Lincoln Riley as their head football coach in November 2021. His hiring came with a heavy price tag, as USC reportedly gave him a $110 million deal over 10 years.

However, the Pac-12 powerhouse got some returns from that investment after Riley led the Trojans to victory over the Louisville Cardinals in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. In return, his players showered him with appreciation through an eggnog bath.

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It's a merry Christmas for Lincoln Riley and USC after 2023 Holiday Bowl victory

Gatorade baths are common for college football coaches who have guided their teams to conference championships or bowl victories. However, Lincoln Riley got the festive treatment after getting doused with eggnog after guiding the Trojans to a win.

USC made it to the Holiday Bowl despite posting an 8-5 record this season and won without prized quarterback Caleb Williams. In their last game as a Pac-12 team, Miller Moss had 22 completions for 372 yards, six touchdowns, and an interception.

Wideout Tahj Washington led the Trojans with 99 receiving yards and two touchdowns, while Austin Jones had 11 carries for 60 rushing yards. Ja'Kobi Lane (two), Duce Robinson, and Kyron Hudson caught the other four USC touchdowns.

Lincoln Riley's squad established a 28-14 halftime lead and never looked back, matching the 14 points Louisville scored in the second half. Conversely, Isaac Guerendo had three touchdown runs for the Cardinals, a team that finished their 2023 campaign at 10-4.

The Holiday Bowl is also a vindication for Riley after losing last year's Cotton Bowl to Tulane by one point, 46-45, via a six-yard touchdown pass from Alex Bauman to Michael Pratt with nine seconds left in regulation.

It was a disappointing finish for the 2022 Trojans after going 8-1 against Pac-12 teams. They finished the regular season at 11-1 before losing to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

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Is Lincoln Riley making a move to the NFL?

Since guiding the Oklahoma Sooners to four consecutive Big 12 conference titles, Riley has been on pro football's radar. Per Front Office Sports, that string of success helped bump up his reported annual salary, putting him among the top 10 highest-paid college football coaches.

But with more NFL head coaches likely getting the pink slip, Lincoln Riley will pop up as one of the strong candidates. However, USC's transition from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten Conference next season is like a homecoming for him. He'd like to see how the Trojans will fare against more formidable opposition.