Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back after USC’s 41-27 loss to Oregon, using Monday’s appearance on “First Take” to unload on Lincoln Riley and call him “a complete fraud.”
The Trojans entered the game needing a win to make a move in the Big Ten race, but Oregon got the response it needed after its loss to Oklahoma State and extended its run over USC to five straight victories. For Riley, the defeat only added to the growing noise around his job status.
Finebaum made his position clear.
"What I think we saw here was a tale of an elite coach (Oregon's Dan Lanning) and a complete fraud as a coach, and I think everybody knows who the fraud is. It is Lincoln Riley," Finebaum said Monday on "First Take."
"He has the same record at this point in his tenure as Clay Helton, who got fired and run off. It cost about $10 million to get rid of him. It will cost about $70 million to get rid of Lincoln Riley, but I promise you, USC people, it would be worth it because this guy is bringing your program down to the gutter."
Finebaum also criticized Riley’s handling of the aftermath of a rough hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. USC linebacker Desman Stephens II struck Moore with a helmet-to-helmet blow as he slid, knocking him out. Stephens then celebrated the play, which drew Oregon players toward him and other USC players.
Stephens was suspended for one game, and Riley said the play was "unacceptable."
Still, Finebaum said Riley did too little in the moment.
"He barely even handled the situation on the field," Finebaum said.
"Thanks to Dan Lanning, there wasn't an absolute massive brawl afterwards. He kept his team cool, which I don't think was very easy to do.
I wouldn't have blamed the other side if they had just started a street fight with USC after that, just completely classless. The fact that Lincoln Riley took till Sunday to decide to suspend Stevens, it's ridiculous."
No. 18 USC is 4-1 and will host Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3.
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The loss to Oregon left USC with more than just a mark in the standings. In a top-20 showdown that ended 41-27, the Trojans got production from a few key places, including wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who paced the offense with seven catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, and running back King Miller, who added 74 rushing yards. On defense, Jahkeem Stewart was back in the lineup, giving USC another body in a game that demanded everything.
Desman Stephens IIs ejection for targeting added another layer to an already costly afternoon, especially after the hit that injured Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. USC has spent enough time this season trying to piece together consistency, and games like this tend to sharpen the bigger question around discipline and availability as much as execution. The Trojans left with the more immediate concern of what the loss means in the moment, but also with the kind of looming issue that can shape the next stretch if it is not cleaned up quickly. [Read more 🡒]
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The hit that sent Oregon quarterback Dante Moore to the hospital during USCs game against Oregon has put Desman Stephens and the Trojans in the middle of an ugly moment that has lingered well beyond the final whistle. Stephens celebrated after the collision and showed no remorse, and the reaction was swift, with calls growing for USC to suspend or dismiss him from the football program.
Lincoln Riley now faces the kind of decision that reaches beyond one player and into the standards of the program itself. The episode has sharpened questions about accountability and the culture around USC football, because this is no longer just about a controversial play, but about what the Trojans are willing to tolerate when the spotlight turns harsh. [Read more 🡒]