Lincoln Riley could never solve Gary Patterson -- now he needs him to help save USC
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- Lincoln Riley hired Gary Patterson out of retirement in January to fix a USC defense that ranks 117th nationally since Riley's 2022 arrival, while the offense leads the country in yards per play over that span.
- Patterson brings his 4-2-5 scheme from TCU, where he posted five No. 1 national finishes on defense over two decades, though he hasn't coached a game since leaving the Horned Frogs after the 2021 season.
- USC returns 15 starters — the most in the country — from last season's 9-4 team, including nine on an offense that ranked eighth nationally, with the Big Ten requiring a top-20 defense to win a league title.
- Jayden Maiava passed on the NFL Draft to return for one more season after leading the Big Ten in passing yards, with Riley calling his growth unmatched among QBs he's coached, a group that includes Heisman winners Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams.
- D'Anton Lynn, who had improved USC's defense as coordinator, left for his alma mater Penn State, leaving the opening Patterson filled after Riley convinced him over two years, sealed by a conversation during a round of golf at Pebble Beach.
- Freshman All-American Jahkeem Stewart anchors a defensive line that includes five-star freshmen Luke Wafle and Jaimeon Winfield, giving Patterson what Riley calls the most talented defense he's assembled at USC.
Why it matters: Riley is 35-18 at USC with zero conference titles compared to a 55-10 mark and four Big 12 crowns at Oklahoma, and the gap maps directly to defensive performance. If Patterson can lift a 117th-ranked defense into the top 20, USC has the returning talent and Maiava-led offense to compete with Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State for a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth — and Riley's five-year USC project gets its defining test.
