USC’s loss at Wisconsin slammed the door on a major Saturday opportunity in Los Angeles.
With the Trojans set to host Ohio State at the Coliseum this week, there had been talk that ESPN’s “College GameDay” might make its long-awaited return to USC for a matchup between two of college football’s biggest brands. But after USC’s 24-7 road defeat in Madison, that idea was done, and the show will head to Minnesota- Indiana instead.
It’s an odd destination on paper. Minnesota is unranked, Indiana is favored by nearly three touchdowns, and ESPN isn’t even televising the game. That points to a last-minute change, with the show apparently forced to pivot after an upset knocked its original plans off course.
For USC, the timing made the missed chance sting even more. The Trojans had a golden shot to bring “GameDay” back to the Coliseum for the first time in 13 years, but Lincoln Riley’s team let it slip away. The drought continues.
The stretch without the show has been a long one for a program that used to see it regularly. From 2004 through 2013, USC hosted “GameDay” at least once in all but two seasons, and 2006 included two visits. But since USC beat Stanford in 2013, ESPN has stayed away, as the Trojans dealt with down years and the network put more weight on the SEC.
Someday, “College GameDay” will return to USC. For now, it looks like that day will have to wait for a different head coach.
In Other News...
Lincoln Rileys USC Future Just Became A Real Trojans Debate
Lincoln Rileys long-term future at USC has become the kind of topic that can hang around a program whenever expectations and results start to drift apart. The latest discussion around the Trojans is not about a firing or an immediate move, but about the possibility of a negotiated separation if another school comes calling and Riley himself is open to a fresh start. In that scenario, the conversation has naturally turned toward possible landing spots, with Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech all mentioned as programs that could fit.
For USC, the issue is as much financial as it is football-related, since any exit would have to account for Rileys buyout and the structure of a deal that would not be simple for either side. There have been no reported negotiations or agreement, and the idea remains speculative for now, but the comparison to a previous USC basketball coaching departure shows how these situations can move from rumor to reality quickly. For a fan base watching closely, the real question is whether this becomes just another offseason talking point or the start of a much bigger reset. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Hit A Point Lincoln Riley Cant Ignore
USCs latest loss did more than dent the record. It pushed the Trojans further down the Big Ten pecking order at a time when the leagues top teams are already separating themselves through steadier quarterback play, cleaner execution and more reliable coaching week to week. Ohio State remains the standard at the top of the rankings even with some vulnerabilities of its own, which only underscores how little room there is for error in a conference where the margin between contender and pretender can vanish quickly.
For Lincoln Riley, the concern is no longer just the one result on the schedule, but what it says about the seasons overall ceiling. The rankings assessment makes clear that USCs path has narrowed after recent setbacks, and the team now has to prove it can respond against the kind of competition that defines a Big Ten race. In a conference shaped by current records as much as perceived upside, the Trojans have reached a point where the next stretch matters more than any preseason promise. [Read more 🡒]
No. 2 USC Women Face A Major Early Test At East Lake
The No. 2 USC women are getting an early barometer at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where the East Lake Cup runs Oct. 26-28 and brings together a compact field with real postseason feel. The event mixes stroke play and match play, and the Trojans will see familiar high-end opposition in Arkansas, Eastern Michigan and Oklahoma State while carrying four of the five players from last years lineup into the week.
It is the kind of setup that can tell a lot about where a team stands before the heart of the season really arrives. With the competition set to be nationally televised on Golf Channel, USC gets a chance to measure its depth, steadiness and match-play chops on a stage that rarely feels like an ordinary fall event. [Read more 🡒]