PHILADELPHIA– The University of Southern California completed a total meltdown Saturday with a brutal 38-20 loss to crosstown rival UCLA at the Coliseum.
If anything, it was a humbling experience for coach Lincoln Riley, who came to this city with visions of building a Pete Carroll-type empire.
The Trojans, the preseason favorite in the Pac 12, not only lost five of their last six games, but their porous defense gave up 401 points, the most ever in school history.
As for 2023 Heisman Trophy Caleb Williams, a junior who threw for 384 yards and one touchdown in what is likely the final game of his college career, he may be the first pick in the NFL draft, but he was overshadowed by two other Pac-12 quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr of fifth- ranked Washington and Bo Nix of sixth-ranked Oregon.
Riley was lauded as a savior when he came to Los Angeles from Oklahoma two years ago to resurrect a Colossus that hasn’t won a national championship since 2005
After an 11-1 start to the 2022 season where the Trojans were ranked fourth by the College Football Playoff committee, the Trojans ended the season with a loss to Utah in the Pac-12 title game in Vegas, then a loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl.
This season, they didn’t come close, finishing 7-5 and putting Riley on an unexpected hot seat with the local media, who have been down on Riley after since he flexed his vindictive muscles three weeks into the season when he chose to suspend media credentials for Luca Evans, a first-year reporter at the Orange County Register, for two weeks for doing his job by quoting freshman tailback Quinten Joyner in a conversation he overheard with another player prior to meeting with the media, asking questions after a news conference ended and speaking to team members in areas of campus not designated for media availability.
Riley quickly found out he wasn’t in Norman anymore.
After a torrent of local and national condemnation, Riley rescinded the suspension.
But he lost control of the narrative as USC struggled through a long disappointing season that wasted Williams’ talents and ruined his chances of a Heisman repeat.
USC was embarrassed by Notre Dame, stunned by Utah, blown away by Oregon and Washington and then surrendered 38 points to a UCLA team that had only scored a combined 17 points to Arizona and Arizona State the previous two weeks.
The Bruins chose the perfect time to play its best game in an effort to save coach Chip Kelly’s job.
USC must confront its demons before moving to the Big Ten next season.
Riley will have to find a new franchise quarterback since Williams is headed to the NFL and likely will turn down the opportunity to play in a second-tier bowl game. He will have to reconstruct a running game that had all of three net years against the Bruins. And he will have to do a complete rebuild of a defense that was an embarrassment under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and wasn’t much better after he was fired late in the season.
Right now, no one knows if Riley can change the dynamics. He has established an assembly line of Heisman quarterbacks with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma and Williams. but USC needs a complete facelift.
Does Riley have the stomach to make changes in his philosophy? After the Notre Dame loss at mid-season, there were rumors he might leave for the NFL taking a job at a losing franchise like the Chicago Bears where he could join Williams. But who knows if the NFL is interested in damaged goods?
Riley, perhaps feeling the heat, admitted things have to change. “Extremely disappointed to finish this way. . . I know our guys are disappointed, coaches are disappointed I’m disappointed. I know our fans are disappointed. There are no excuses. It’s below what we expect here. It’s below the standard and I’ve got to do a much better job. I own all that and I’m going to fight my ass off in every single way to make sure this thing gets to where it’s supposed to be.”
One of the things he can do is making his players more accountable. Williams is a franchise talent. His reps even suggested he wanted a minority ownership stake in any team he signed with, something that by the way is illegal. But then again, Williams has become a sulking diva after recent losses, refusing to talk to the media in post-game for three straight weeks, likely to avoid talking about his future. His absence wasn’t the first time Williams’ actions have undergone scrutiny. He didn’t shake hands with Utah after a loss and was seen crying in his mother’s arms after a loss to Washington.
Moving forward, USC has more enough NIL support from its rich boosters to sign impact players to turn things around. But storied Heritage Hall, which houses replicas of the Heisman Trophy its players have won, is currently a smoldering heap of. ashes.
