To say that expectations were high at USC heading into the 2026 college football season would be an understatement.
asserted
expectations → say → season
SC finished 9-3 in 2025, brought in the number one recruiting class in the country, added some talent at key positions in the transfer portal, and returned starting quarterback Jayden Maiava after a strong 2025.
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SC → finish → 2025
They hired former TCU head coach Gary Patterson to run the defense.
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They → hire → defense
In theory, the elements had finally come together to return the program to prominence.
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elements → come → prominence
And they said as much.
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they → say → much
"The time is now," the marketing campaign went.
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campaign → go → ?
Riley gave interviews in the spring, including one to On3, where he said the administration got "serious" about competing at the highest levels of college football.
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administration → give → football
"USC had to get really serious about being great in the sport again," he explained. "
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he → have → sport
I give the school administration — everybody — credit.
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I → give → credit
They have.
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They → have → ?
"Taking this over, you knew you had to go fight like hell just to try to get this window opened," Riley said.
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Riley → take → hell
"And we’re at a point right now where there’s a lot to be excited about and a lot in front of us.
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we → ’re → us
It’s been a lot of work for a lot of people, a lot of commitment from a lot of people to get there, and it should be a lot of fun these next few years.
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it → get → fun
"
"We came here to win championships," he continued. "
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he → come → championships
We certainly didn’t come here for anything less.
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We → come → anything
We’ve got to go buckle down and improve and really come together, but there’s the makings of a championship-level football team in that building right now.
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We → get → building
Fast-forward to late-October, and they're anything but.
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they → forward → October
While they had a nice win over Penn State in a hostile "White Out" environment in Happy Valley, the Trojans lost at home to a very mediocre Oregon Ducks team playing a backup quarterback.
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Trojans → have → quarterback
The seven points they scored against the Badgers on the road, after a bye week no less, represented the lowest point total of any Lincoln Riley-coached team.
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they → score → team
Naturally, the defense wasn't good enough to keep the game close.
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defense → keep → game
The performance, the record, the mediocrity, the consistent underachievement ... all of it has led to rampant, and growingly serious, speculation that Riley's job is contingent on a strong finish to the season.
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job → lead → season
Part of the speculation is the assumption, or the observation, that Riley doesn't seem fully connected to the USC program.
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Riley → seem → program
he's ready to move on as much as the SC fanbase is ready to move on from him.
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fanbase → move → him
He addressed those questions and opinions at a news conference this week, saying that he's fully committed to staying in LA and that SC is where he belongs.
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he → address → LA
"Listen, if I didn't want to be at this place, I wouldn't have come here in the first place.
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I → listen → place
I've had plenty of opportunities to leave," Riley explained Tuesday afternoon.
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Riley → have → opportunities
"This is where I want to be.
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I → want → ?
"I love it here.
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I → love → it
I mean like I told you guys a lot of times — there's not many people in college football history that gave up what I gave up to come here," Riley said.
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Riley → mean → what
"I don't care if it's 15 years down the line, that never should be taken lightly.
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that → care → line
It's certainly not taken lightly by me.
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It → take → me
I came here because I believe in this place and none of that has changed whatsoever."
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none → come → that
That's an interesting way to put it, because it's not exactly clear what Riley "gave up" to come to SC.
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Riley → put → SC
He got a huge raise in salary.
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He → get → salary
He locked in a massive buyout, ensuring generational wealth no matter how well he coached.
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he → lock → wealth
He went from living in Norman, Oklahoma, to a palatial $35 million mansion on top of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, acquired for him by USC.
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He → go → USC
What was the big sacrifice he made?
asserted
he → make → ?
Theoretically losing favor with Oklahoma fans, but uh, you know, $100+ million can make up for some mean comments by anonymous message board accounts.
asserted
million → lose → accounts
Riley said that he has a great relationship with USC's Athletic Director Jen Cohen, and said she's been a "huge part of the progress that we've made."
Though again, it's not clear what progress he's referring to.
asserted
he → say → progress
USC went 11-1 in the regular season in his first year in LA, thanks in large part to Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
asserted
USC → go → Williams
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
