Matt Leinart isn’t one to back down from a little social media smoke-especially when it comes with a twist of Trojan pride. After USC’s heartbreaker in the Alamo Bowl, the former Heisman-winning quarterback found himself in the middle of a playful online spat with TCU, who edged out the Trojans 30-27 in overtime on Tuesday night.
The Horned Frogs, clearly still riding high after the walk-off win, took a cheeky swipe at USC by flipping the school’s iconic “Fight On” slogan into “Cry On.” That jab came not long after Leinart posted a cryptic tweet that read, “Nobody cares … I promise.” Naturally, fans and followers assumed he was throwing shade at USC’s loss.
But Leinart was quick to set the record straight.
“Y’all have no idea what I am talking about here and had nothing to do with USC game lol,” he replied, brushing off the heat and making it clear his tweet wasn’t about the Trojans’ loss. He followed up the next morning with another post, noting he’d gone to bed early ahead of a 6 a.m. workout and woke up to the internet in a frenzy. He even gave a nod to his former backfield partner LenDale White, who had also been vocal online after the game.
It’s the kind of back-and-forth we’ve come to expect in the modern college football landscape-where the battles don’t always end when the clock hits zero. And while Leinart took the high road with a bit of humor, TCU got the last laugh on the field.
The game itself was a thriller. TCU quarterback Ken Seals, making his first start, stepped into the spotlight and didn’t flinch.
He threw for 258 yards and capped the night with a 35-yard strike to Jeremy Payne in overtime to seal the win. Seals added 123 total yards and two touchdowns on the ground, putting together a performance that felt bigger than just a box score.
It was gritty, it was clutch, and it gave the Horned Frogs a strong finish to their season.
Both teams closed the year at 9-4, but for USC, the loss stings a little more. In their second season in the Big Ten under Lincoln Riley, the Trojans showed flashes of growth but ultimately fell short of their College Football Playoff aspirations. It’s a program that’s still chasing consistency to match its talent and expectations.
As for Leinart, his USC legacy is rock solid. He’s forever etched in Trojan lore-a national champion, a Heisman winner, and a leader of one of the most dominant runs in college football history. No tweet, no troll job, and certainly no bowl game loss is changing that.
But in the world of college football, where rivalries extend to memes and hashtags, even legends can get caught in the crossfire. And when they do, you better believe the timeline’s watching.