A week ago, Lincoln Riley was taking heat after USC’s loss at Wisconsin. A week later, he was standing at the podium after the Trojans had knocked off then-No. 2 Ohio State 30-18, and the conversation around him had shifted fast.
Riley entered the season listed by USA Today among the college football coaches with the hottest seats, and the Wisconsin defeat only turned up the pressure. But the upset of the Buckeyes gave USC a different kind of spotlight - one that might alter the direction of the season and, maybe, Riley’s future in Los Angeles.
What grabbed as much attention as the win itself was what Riley did after it. At the end of his postgame press conference, he pulled out a handwritten statement and read it to reporters.
"I wanted to make sure to articulate my thoughts," he said. "This program is built on internal joy, not external applause. This wins for all the staff members, the players, the leaders, admin, all the people within the walls."
"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," he continued. "I appreciate our kids and our staff, and I'm going to continue to fight on because that's what being a Trojan is all about."
He finished with "Adios" and walked away.
That moment immediately became a talking point in sports media. Colin Cowherd said he understood the message Riley was trying to send, but not the way he chose to deliver it.
"I did not love Lincoln in the postgame press conference, coming up and reading a prepared statement. I didn't mind the message.
The message was, "Hey, it's about the team, not outsiders." I don't mind that, but it was two sentences.
It wasn't the Gettysburg Address. Just go up there and ad-lib two sentences,” said Cowherd.
“I think he tried a little too hard," Cowherd added. "It was a little cringy to me. I think you should always be humble in victory.”
On3’s Ari Wasserman also weighed in on X, calling the move a "plea to remind people he is worthy of his job," and saying he had "never seen that before" after a top-five win.
The timing of the statement only added to the intrigue. Riley didn’t say when he wrote it or whether he had planned to read it no matter how the game turned out. That left open the question of whether the remarks were prepared before kickoff, which would only deepen the curiosity around a coach already under scrutiny.
Even with the reaction to Riley’s podium moment, the result itself is the bigger story for USC. The Trojans’ win over Ohio State was the kind of victory that changes the tone around a team in a hurry.
USC’s 30-18 win over the Buckeyes gave the Trojans a marquee result and a real boost in the playoff picture. The victory moved USC to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play, a much better place than the one it occupied after the Wisconsin loss.
Now the Trojans get a bye week before another major test against No. 6 Indiana on Nov. 14.
In Other News...
Ohio State Still Has Two Big Lineup Questions Before Oregon
Ohio State left the USC game with two key injury questions hanging over its week of preparation, and both sit in the trenches where the Buckeyes can least afford uncertainty. Defensive tackle Eddrick Houston and left tackle Ian Moore were hurt in the win, and Ryan Days update offered some relief on one front while leaving the other very much open as the No. 1 concern shifts toward Oregon.
Houston is expected back soon enough to give Ohio State some stability inside, but Moores availability is still tied to how his recovery goes in the days ahead. With Oregon next on the schedule, the Buckeyes are balancing health, lineup planning and the usual late-week coaching decisions, all while trying to keep the focus on a game that could demand its best five up front from the opening snap. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Day Defends A Call Ohio State Fans Still Cant Trust
Ryan Days late-game decisions have become a talking point around Ohio State after a pair of losses put his fourth-quarter judgment under the microscope. The first came against Texas, when Day later said he regretted not letting the Longhorns score in order to preserve more time for a possible comeback. The second arrived against USC, when Ohio State went for two late and came up empty, adding another layer to a season already shaped by what-ifs.
Day has defended the USC choice as one rooted in analytics and internal discussion, but it is the kind of call Buckeyes fans are unlikely to trust until it works in a big moment. The hesitation is understandable, too, given Ohio States recent history on two-point tries, with the program having missed its last eight attempts dating back to 2017. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Already Has Oregon Sounding Concerned About The Rematch
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Ohio State is treating the game like more than just another date on the schedule, too, with the program designating it as its Scarlet the Shoe event as it looks to keep its home winning streak rolling. For a matchup that already carries the weight of last years one-point finish, Smiths presence only adds another layer to what should be one of the most closely watched games on the Buckeyes calendar. [Read more 🡒]