My Trojans Wire colleague Adam Bradford went in on Lincoln Riley’s USC football team after the loss to Illinois.

Bradford wrote, “USC football’s loss on Saturday was a brutal one. The Trojans played terrible defense, turned the ball over multiple times, committed too many penalties, and had poor clock management, ultimately leading to them falling to a less talented opponent.

“You may have noticed that I did not specify which USC loss I was talking about. While in this instance, I was referring to the Trojans’ 34-32 defeat at Illinois, there are seemingly countless games that the program has played under head coach Lincoln Riley that have met those exact same criteria.”

That really does get to the heart of the matter. The loss to Illinois was bad enough, but the worst part is how numbingly routine and constant these losses are. It’s not isolated; it’s part of a large and growing pattern.

This isn’t a merry-go-round; it’s an error-go-round. It speaks to a culture where lessons aren’t learned and failure doesn’t sharpen coaches or players for the next game or season. It’s a complete waste of time and talent and a scathing indictment of a coach who used to be really good at his job. Lincoln Riley has lost the ability to be a quality control manager, someone who gets his teams to maintain a high standard. What he did at Oklahoma transferred to USC for one season in 2022. Since then, it has evaporated. We need to have a serious Lincoln Riley conversation at USC football:

Four Preseason Games

They say there are no preseason games in college football, and I understand that — every game counts in the standings and in the playoff chase — but it’s not true. Lincoln Riley scheduled two cupcakes so that his team could work out the kinks, shake off the rust, and be sharper when the opposition got tougher. USC had four games against clearly inferior opponents to weed out the bad habits and make sure the Trojans played a clean game against Illinois. Nope. Didn’t happen. What does it say about a coach when four games don’t offer sufficient time to polish and improve a team?

Offensive Line Play Wasted

There are so many frustrating and annoying aspects of this loss; number one could be the fact that even without Elijah Paige and Kilian O’Connor, the USC offensive line played well. USC not winning when its O-line thrives is an enormous waste and a massive missed opportunity. It shows how much of the team broke down in other areas.

Lincoln Riley Just Isn’t Hammering Home the Details

Little things can become very big if not tended to. J’Onre Reed, who did play really well overall in place of O’Connor, nevertheless made one massive mistake which loomed large against Illinois. Drifting downfield canceled out a brilliant Riley trick play which went for a 75-yard touchdown. It’s one thing if a lineman gets sucked into a block or sees a teammate in trouble. Reed’s downfield drift served no clear purpose. It reflected the carelessness of a USC team which isn’t nailing down the details which separate winners from losers. It’s the head coach’s job to get the details right. Lincoln Riley, if he is trying to send a message, isn’t getting through.

Lincoln Riley Formula Is Fatally Flawed

USC is back in the old Lincoln Riley world of needing the offense to be near-perfect to win games against equal opposition. Last year the defense really stepped up, but in 2025, it’s a lot more like 2022 and 2023. Caleb Williams, Travis Dye, and Jordan Addison were great enough to overcome an Alex Grinch defense in 2022, but 2023 was a different story, and 2025 is unfolding in a similar manner. This defense was chewed up. USC needed to score 49 or 52, but a few turnovers plus the Reed penalty kneecapped the Trojans. Riley’s 52-45 path to victory leaves way too little margin for error. It’s an adjustment he has failed to make.

Illinois Was Banged Up

Illinois was missing multiple starters in the secondary and gave up 63 to Indiana a week ago. USC scoring 32 represents underperformance. Riley’s play calls were good, but the turnovers and miscues were too much to overcome.

Game Management Flunking Grade

Lincoln Riley obviously doesn’t spend time on game management. How can a coach making several millions of dollars per year be so inattentive to time and score situations? Riley knew his defense was both struggling and badly shorthanded with Kamari Ramsey and others in the secondary out versus Illinois. He knew giving Illinois the ball back with ample time left at the end of regulation was not smart … or did he? How can any coach defend the strategy of scoring instantly (1:55 left) instead of grinding the clock and making Illinois use its three timeouts? That is absolute coaching malpractice.

More on the Endgame Failure

Let’s pick apart that endgame situation a little more deeply: USC had 1st and 10 at the Illinois 17 at the 2-minute warning. If the ball had been at the 10 or 9-yard line, USC might not have had that much of a choice. Goal to go would have meant USC had just four plays to use, and Illinois could have used timeouts after the first three. In that hypothetical, scoring right away would make a lot more sense. USC’s options would have been a lot more limited.

At the 17, however, no — USC’s and Lincoln Riley’s options were not limited. USC had time and space in which to get a first down — on at least two plays if not all four — inside the Illinois 7. A first down gained with at least two plays, maybe three, would have drained Illinois’ supply of timeouts. Then USC, with a first and goal at the 5 or 6, could run the ball to use 40 seconds. Second and goal at the 3. USC could run again to use 40 more seconds and get the clock down to 15-20 seconds. Then USC would have two chances inside the 2 (or 1) in the final 20 seconds. Given how well USC’s O-line was playing, and given how talented its quarterback and running backs are, that’s a great situation for USC. It’s what Lincoln Riley should have tried to create.

He did the exact opposite. Illinois’ game-winning drive against a shorthanded defense was far too predictable.

The sad part: It was preventable. Lincoln Riley could have done this differently, but he just doesn’t care about doing game management right. It’s a disgrace, and nothing less.

Groundhog Day

USC is just going to continue to lead late in Big Ten road games and not finish the job. Close games require coaches who do the little things and take them seriously enough to get them right. Lincoln Riley does not. It is completely unacceptable, and yet because of the 2026 recruiting class, we are all stuck with him for another year.

When does the Dodger playoff series start, anyway?

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Lincoln Riley’s culture and game management at USC are completely unacceptable

Reporting by Matt Zemek / Trojans Wire

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