Dave Aranda’s hold on the Baylor job comes with a contract that runs through the 2029 season, but the conversation around his future hasn’t exactly gone quiet. Baylor opened 3-1 and was a few inches from entering Week 5 unbeaten, yet the stretch ahead is the kind that can decide everything. Arizona State is next, followed by four games Baylor should have a real shot to win, then BYU, Texas Tech and Houston to close things out.
That means Aranda still has plenty of runway to steady things. It also means the pressure is real. If Baylor doesn’t take care of business with DJ Lagway at quarterback and a reworked defense, the questions about Aranda’s long-term fit in Waco are only going to get louder.
One name that has already surfaced in that kind of scenario is USC coach Lincoln Riley.
Riley’s situation in Los Angeles has become its own soap opera. He carries a buyout of roughly $70 million, and frustration is building among USC fans and boosters.
Since arriving, he has produced only one 10-plus win season, the Trojans still haven’t reached the College Football Playoff, and this was supposed to be the year that changed. Instead, USC just took a 41-27 loss at home to Oregon.
The same old problems are still hanging around. USC hasn’t been able to get past the better teams, and the defense continues to be a problem.
That’s why Riley came up in a discussion with Blake Toppmeyer, Paul Myerberg and Matt Hayes, who pointed to Baylor as the school that might make the most sense if the USC situation ever broke wide open.
"If I’m Riley, I’m not walking away from a $70 million buyout. If USC wants him gone, then pay up.
If I’m Riley, I say, “If you want to fire me, that’s fine. I’ll take the buyout.”
Then, I’d go to Baylor. Riley would solve a problem for Baylor, and it would get Riley back to the Big 12," Hayes said.
"Riley makes a lot of sense for Baylor. He’s from Texas, played under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, and had Big 12 coaching success at Oklahoma. But, if I'm Riley, I'm not going to Baylor without first making USC cut the buyout check."
The fit is easy enough to understand. Riley played quarterback at Texas Tech, built his reputation as an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, then moved up to head coach there before taking over at USC. His offenses have been elite wherever he’s gone, with Oklahoma and USC consistently near the top of the national stat sheets.
The issue has never been scoring points. It’s been what happens when the other team has the ball.
From Baylor’s perspective, there’s another part of the equation that would make the idea intriguing: recruiting. Riley has been one of the best recruiters in the country, and USC just signed the No. 1 class in the 2026 cycle. Any move like that would require donors and boosters to buy in, but the upside is obvious.
For now, though, it’s just a thought. Aranda still has a chance to quiet everything with a strong run over the next few weeks.
In Other News...
USCs Receiver Shuffle Just Put More Pressure On Trent Mosley
USCs receiving room keeps taking hits, and the latest twist only adds more importance to the players left standing. Freshman Trent Mosley, who has been working into the mix early, underwent a minor knee procedure after getting hurt in the Trojans week 2 game against Louisiana, and he is expected back after the teams first bye week.
Until then, USC has to keep sorting through a reshuffled receiver rotation while finding enough reliability on the perimeter for the upcoming games. Mosleys absence comes at a time when the Trojans are already dealing with other receiver injuries and lineup changes, which makes the early part of the schedule even more about survival than style. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces One More Problem Before A Must Win Washington Game
The No. 18 USC Trojans are heading into a pivotal weekend at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after the loss to No. 15 Oregon left Lincoln Riley stressing the importance of bouncing back quickly. With Washington next on the schedule, the focus is no longer just on the defeat itself, but on making sure USC does not let one setback spill into a second one in a hurry.
Ahead of a must-win feel to the matchup, the Trojans are also sorting through injury updates while trying to get a clean read on what Washington brings with quarterback Demond Williams Jr. USC still has plenty to play for, but with the margin getting thinner, the pressure around this one is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]
USC Defense Faces A Bigger Concern Entering Must-Win Washington Game
USCs defense spent part of the week trying to steady itself the old-fashioned way, with practice and a round of media availability featuring Jahkeem Stewart, Prophet Brown and Jontez Williams. The conversation coming out of the session centered on the basics that tend to decide November games: whether the defensive line is working together, whether the communication is clean and whether the tackling has tightened up enough to travel.
There is also the matter of availability, and that only adds another layer to a trip to Washington that already carries real weight for the Trojans. USCs injury report listed tight end Mark Bowman among several players as questionable, leaving the staff to sort through health concerns while the defense tries to show it can handle a tougher challenge on the road. [Read more 🡒]