Lincoln Riley’s USC tenure is heading into a season where the margin for error feels razor-thin, and Greg McElroy thinks the Trojans’ schedule may end up doing a lot of the talking.
Riley arrived in Los Angeles with serious momentum after a five-year run at Oklahoma that included a 55-10 record, three straight College Football Playoff appearances to open his tenure and four consecutive Big 12 championships. When Oklahoma announced it was moving to the SEC, Riley made the jump to USC, and his first year in charge looked like a clean fit. The Trojans went 11-3, reached the Pac-12 Championship Game and came up just short of the College Football Playoff.
But the follow-up seasons changed the mood fast. USC opened one year ranked No. 6 and finished 8-5.
The next season brought a 7-6 mark. Riley steadied things with a 9-4 campaign this past season, but that kind of record does not buy much comfort at USC, a program that expects championships, not just solid seasons.
McElroy pointed to the schedule as a major reason this year could define Riley’s future. On “Always College Football,” he said, "I think what's amazing about this schedule is SC's home schedule is a bit of a gift, but their road schedule is a bit of a coffin," McElroy said.
"Look at what the Trojans get inside the Coliseum. They host Ohio State.
They host Oregon. Two Big Ten titans, both in Los Angeles...
Then you flip to the road slate, and that's when the temperature starts to drop."
That home slate gives USC a real chance to make noise, with Ohio State and Oregon both coming to the Coliseum. The road side is where things get tricky. The Trojans have to travel to Rutgers, Penn State, Indiana, Wisconsin and UCLA.
On paper, that list does not scream impossible. But the geography matters. With the exception of UCLA, those trips are a long haul from Los Angeles, and that kind of travel can matter over the course of a season.
Riley has already shown he can put together an elite offense and win at a championship level. What USC needs now is more than flashes.
This is the kind of season where every loss invites a bigger question about whether he can get the Trojans back into the national picture. The home schedule offers chances to make a statement.
The road schedule may decide whether Riley keeps building in Los Angeles or walks into another offseason under even more pressure.
In Other News...
USC Recruiting Update Just Sparked A Bigger 2027 Class Debate
The latest Rivals300 update for the 2027 cycle gave USCs class another round of movement, with five-star defensive end Mekai Brown landing at No. 18 nationally and staying among the elite names in the group. He was not the only commit to benefit from the refresh, either, as offensive lineman Drew Fielder and defensive lineman Tolo Tuihalamaka climbed, while tight end Jace Cannon moved into the Rivals300 after earning his fourth star.
Even with that talent still in place, USCs 2027 class has slipped to No. 13 nationally as other programs have stacked bigger commitment runs. The Trojans still have plenty of runway before signing day, and the bigger question now is whether this group can keep adding the kind of high-end pieces that can push it back toward the top tier. [Read more 🡒]
Terrell Anderson Drawing Real Buzz As USC Eyes Another Big Receiver Reload
USC has spent the last few cycles building and rebuilding its receiver room, and Terrell Anderson looks like the latest addition with a chance to matter quickly. The North Carolina State transfer is headed to Los Angeles for the 2026 season, and the early buzz around him is real enough that On3 has him slotted among the Big Ten's top incoming transfers. For a program that lives on explosive passing-game talent, Anderson fits the familiar Lincoln Riley mold as another receiver with a chance to thrive in a system that tends to showcase skill players fast.
Ari Wasserman recently pointed to Anderson as a name to watch for a breakout season, and the fit is easy to see from USC's side. The Trojans need more answers at receiver after departures to the NFL, and Anderson is expected to help fill that void as a downfield option and a player who can create after the catch. If the transition goes the way USC hopes, he could end up being more than just another transfer addition in a room that has become central to the program's identity. [Read more 🡒]
Five-Star USC Commit Weighs In On A Class Fans Keep Debating
USCs 2027 recruiting class already has a different look than the oversized hauls fans sometimes expect, but the Trojans have been leaning into quality and local reach with 14 commitments in the fold. The group is headlined by five-star athlete Honor Faalave-Johnson, the No. 12 overall prospect and top athlete in Rivals rankings, and he has become one of the clearest examples of the staffs plan to build around versatile, high-end talent from California.
Faalave-Johnson has also offered his own read on the class, and it tracks with the way USC has been assembling it: not necessarily huge, but stocked with players who fit and cover important spots. He is expected to help on both sides of the ball, primarily at safety while also giving the offense options, and his view of the class adds another layer to the ongoing debate among fans about whether the Trojans are prioritizing star power, balance, or simply the right pieces in the right places. [Read more 🡒]