Lincoln Riley’s USC tenure could end with loss against Ohio State’s backup quarterback, and $70m buyout

Should Lincoln Riley’s tenure at USC come down to what happens this weekend against an Ohio State team playing with a backup quarterback in what was supposed to be a marquee matchup for the Trojans?

Absolutely, and now it’s a must win.

One way or another, everything could come to a head Saturday night in Los Angeles for a USC team coming off an embarrassing loss to Wisconsin in Madison.

This was supposed to be the year for Lincoln Riley to have his team in the college football playoff and compete for a national championship. The pieces appeared to be in place, with quarterback Jayden Maiava leading an offense expected to rank among the Big Ten’s best.

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Throw in a defense led by Gary Patterson, and the recipe for success was being put together inside the Trojans’ football complex.

Unfortunately for the USC fans that were praying for some type of return on investment after showing up on a weekly basis, sometimes in the blistering California heat, we are once again on the brink of total implosion for Lincoln Riley.

And, the head coach had the nerve to sit at the podium after losing to Wisconsin and discuss a win at Penn State just two weeks prior.

“You have to own it, this is the same team that played a way different brand of football at Penn State two weeks ago and we’re very capable of doing that again in the coming weeks,” Lincoln Riley said after the Wisconsin loss.

“But we gotta do it, and it’s gonna take all of coaches and players to do it, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

Sorry, that isn’t going to make Trojan fans feel any better that you went on the road and beat a Big Ten team earlier in the month, then to turn around and lose to a Wisconsin team that was not on the same level when it comes to talent.

A lifeless effort that saw the Trojans score just seven points in the game.

Oh, and if USC fans wanted to feel even worse about the loss, Wisconsin passed for only 58 yards in the win over the Trojans.

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The reality is that this experiment feels all but over, and Ohio State could end up being the final nail in a coffin that has been in the process of being assembled for over a year.

Pay for the buyout or pray Lincoln Riley takes another job?

You wanna see things get contentious around USC?

Have the administration get into a standoff with Riley and his agent over the reported $70 million buyout that USC would owe the head coach if he were to be fired.

But in this era of college athletics, schools can no longer afford to sit around and pray it gets better. Okay, maybe Florida State can penny-pinch and hold off on firing Mike Norvell until they raise enough money by passing around the offering plate to boosters on a Sunday morning.

Not USC, and not during one of the most chaotic times in college athletics. If Lincoln Riley could not win with Caleb Williams slinging the football, what makes fans think he can win now?

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We are also past the point of excuses. There is no conceivable reason why USC should have lost to a football team that passed for a total of 58 yards. And, there’s no reason why the Trojans’ season should come down to a game against Ohio State this weekend.

Southern California head coach Lincoln Riley talks with quarterback Jayden Maiava between plays against Penn State during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)

Remember, the Trojans still have to play Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland and UCLA to finish out the 2026 season, and there is no wiggle-room for a loss thanks to that performance against Wisconsin.

So, if things continue trending in the wrong way this weekend and Ohio State rolls into Los Angeles with a backup quarterback to beat the Trojans, it could be time for Lincoln Riley to finally waive the white flag.

We all know he’s a competitor, but leaving USC for a return to the Big 12 at a school like Baylor might not be the worst thing for a head coach who is hanging on by a thread at his current employer.

It’s either that or forcing USC to pay the buyout that will undoubtedly be mitigated in some form or fashion.

And don’t forget, these high-power schools can find a way to make the situation messy in the process.

This is not what USC signed up for, or wrote massive checks they can’t cash

The Trojans have not won more than nine games since the 2022 season, where they finished 11-3.

You think this is what USC donors had in mind when they signed Lincoln Riley to a lucrative contract that saw him leave Oklahoma?

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That’s an easy answer. Absolutely not, and I can promise you the Big Ten conference is thinking the same.

AFTER YET ANOTHER INEXCUSABLE LOSS TO WISCONSIN, THE LINCOLN RILEY ERA AT USC LOOKS TO BE NEARING AN END

Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans looks on prior to a game against the UCLA Bruins at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Harry How/Getty Images)

A win against Ohio State on Saturday night would obviously keep USC within striking distance of the playoffs.

But, they would also have to win out and beat UCLA to end the regular season, while also going on the road to Bloomington in three weeks to face Curt Cignetti’s Indiana team that is still in the hunt despite a flaky offense.

We have come to the old fork in the road in Los Angeles, and if USC doesn’t win this weekend against the Buckeyes, that highway could lead Riley straight out of California with a nice payday to make up for the embarrassing results he produced.