Riley says USC 'right place for me' and 'I'm the right person to be here' — SkimNews
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- Lincoln Riley said after Tuesday's practice that USC was 'the right place for me' and he was 'the right person to be here,' while noting that he had plenty of opportunities to leave.
- Riley is in Year 5 at USC without a CFP berth or conference title; his record is 41-20 after a Week 4 loss to Oregon and a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin, with seven points the lowest offensive output by any Riley-coached team.
- USC secured the No. 1 recruiting class and opened a $200 million facility, while its results still lagged the preseason expectation Riley had voiced that the Trojans were more equipped than ever to win.
- Jen Cohen has been 'incredibly supportive' of Riley, who called their relationship 'fantastic' and noted that Cohen was not the athletic director who hired him.
- Ohio State is USC's next opponent on Saturday, followed by defending champion Indiana and undefeated UCLA; USC likely needs to win out to change the tenor of its season.
- Lincoln Riley compared his USC scrutiny with criticism after Oklahoma's 2017 loss to Iowa State, later followed by a Big 12 championship and playoff berth, and said his job is to 'stay steady.'
Why it matters: Riley's public commitment gives USC a settled leadership story, while Jen Cohen calls their relationship 'fantastic.' The counterweight is stark: a 41-20 record, no CFP berth or conference title in Year 5, and a likely need to win out against Ohio State, Indiana and undefeated UCLA despite the No. 1 recruiting class and $200 million facility.
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