Lincoln Riley and USC football had one last chance in 2026 to show that they could be different. The embattled coach and his inconsistent team played a magnificent game against Ohio State on October 31. They showed what they could become. However, in a 12-game season, one great performances doesn’t translate to College Football Playoff success or Big Ten glory. Doing it every week, or at least most of the time, defines great teams. Playing well on the road defines greatness. Playing well against defending champion Indiana defines greatness. Here was Riley’s chance to show things had changed.
Swing and a miss.
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USC had two weeks to prepare for this game. It could not have played a sloppier game. Why is it that this team plays its worst football after getting guys healthy and having a chance to study film? It’s a searing indictment of Lincoln Riley that USC regresses after a week off. It happened in the Wisconsin game, too.
Yes, that Wisconsin team – the one which hammered USC after the Trojans had a week off – was humiliated by Maryland. It makes Lincoln Riley and USC look even worse.
USC sank back into familiar bad habits, committing multiple 15-yard penalties in this game and costing itself both field position and touchdown opportunities. This is Year 5 of the Lincoln Riley era. If bad habits remain for five years, why should a coach get a sixth year on the job?
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USC special teams have been a disaster throughout the Lincoln Riley era. Two more missed kicks against Indiana show that, again, nothing has changed.
The secondary could not have played much worse. USC defensive backs dropped four different interceptions, and they also got roasted on several other deep balls. The secondary became the primary point of concern early in the season, and sadly, this group never did improve enough to make the grade when it counted.
Jayden Maiava just kept throwing balls into traffic, often off his back foot. There is absolutely no excuse for Maiava, in his third year at USC, to be this irresponsible with the ball.
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Lincoln Riley is one of the greatest quarterback coaches of all time. This will never be taken away from him. He coached Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams to Heisman Trophies. Jalen Hurts was a Heisman runner-up under Riley’s guidance. Sadly, Jayden Maiava has shown he doesn’t belong in this same group. He started this year looking great but has gotten worse, not better, with the passage of time. It’s a crushing reality, but it can’t be denied: Lincoln Riley and Jayden Maiava failed together. If Riley’s QB isn’t performing, there’s no way Riley will win big.
Indiana missed a field goal, just like USC. Indiana committed bad penalties, just like USC. Indiana threw an interception, just like USC. Indiana stalled in the red zone, just like USC. This was not a well-played game by either side, which only makes the defeat even worse. Indiana was vulnerable, and USC let the Hoosiers off the hook.
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Dylan Raiola relieved Dante Moore and beat USC. Grant Wilson stepped in for Josh Hoover and beat USC. The Trojans have been insanely lucky this year, getting to play backup quarterbacks, but they still couldn’t take advantage. It magnifies Lincoln Riley’s failure.
The Big Ten has been bad this year. Let’s just say it. Let’s just admit it. Yet, even with so many Big Ten teams being down in 2026, USC and Lincoln Riley couldn’t get the job done. It’s a crushing, brutal failure for the Trojans and their coach.
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Trent Mosley, a baller and the best player on this whole USC team, did everything he possibly could. Yet, Jayden Maiava and his other teammates couldn’t pick him up. It’s a shame that Mosley’s brilliance was wasted. He deserved so much better. The same goes for USC fans. They deserve better.
USC won’t make the playoff again. That’s now 0 for 5 for Lincoln Riley. Would Alabama or Ohio State or Georgia put up with five straight non-playoff seasons? Let’s just let that question linger. You be the judge.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Lincoln Riley, Jayden Maiava failed themselves and USC | Opinion
