USC head coach Lincoln Riley is one of the main coaches who are under pressure to face the hot seat in the 2025 college football season.
After ending the 2023 season with an overall record of 8-5 with Caleb Williams, followed by a disappointing 7-6, Riley is expected to change things around this year and take the pressure off of him.
After leaving the Pac-12 conference for the Big Ten, Riley was asked from Colin Cowherd, whether that is something he keeps in mind as he builds the roster.
“Did you build your roster accordingly? did you make alterations?” Cowhered said.
Riley responded by saying:
“We did and I think some of that’s in response to the Big Ten, but also think a lot of it’s just to like our natural growth as a program. We want to be a team that’s a national championship contender every single year, like you should expect an USC and to do that, you have to be great on the line of scrimmage and so I would certainly try to build that throughout the years I think this group coming up on both fronts has a chance to be the very best, we’ve had, and certainly see a major difference, especially on the defensive line that I know. they dividends this year.”
USC coach Lincoln Riley on building a roster that competes with the BIG10.
Riley says USC should be a national championship contender every year and to do that they needed to be great in the line of scrimmage.
USC has bolstered up the trenches throughout his tenure and Riley… pic.twitter.com/uWnHAZz48B
— Trojan Football ✌️ ᶠᵃⁿ (@TrojanFBx) July 24, 2025
USC HC Lincoln Riley Faces Paul Finebaum’s Wrath
Ahead of the Big Ten Media Days that is taking place between July 22 to 24 in Las Vegas, Paul Finebaum expressed his desire for Lincoln Riley to take the stage and explain what happened in the last two years.
“I can’t think of anybody whose coaching has been more fraudulent since the first year with Caleb Williams,” Finebaum said on The Dari Nowkhah Show.
Paul Finebaum, totally unprompted, WENT AFTER Lincoln Riley today on the Dari Nowkhah Show.
“I can’t think of anyone whose coaching has been more fraudulent.” pic.twitter.com/UTETsiOQZy
— The REF (@KREFsports) July 22, 2025
Finebaum claimed that Lincoln Riley’s ex program, the Oklahoma Sooners, are better off now than they were two years ago during the 41-year-old’s stint.
“I know a lot of people are still gnashing teeth in Norman and Oklahoma City and across that state, but I frankly believe the Sooner Nation is better off today.”
Finebaum added that he is underwhelmed by Lincoln Riley’s performances and he can’t think of any modern-day coach who is making that amount of money while doing something less.
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