If Lincoln Riley can’t figure out USC football now, he never will | Opinion

While USC's supporters head for the exits, if Lincoln Riley can't figure out USC football now, he never will Opinion Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans still can't win the major games, and he's going to waste another season with a star quarterback.

Key points

• Week 4 Flop 10: Terrible Terps, a dirty hit, bizarre penalty and Michigan karma.
• It's Year 5, and the best win of Riley's tenure came in Year 1 against nine-win Notre Dame.
• Southern Cal fans sprinted out of the Los Angeles Coliseum as if they'd just learned $5 gas was on sale in the parking lot.
• The Trojans knocked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore out of the game in the first half with Desman Stephens II's dirty hit.
• Oregon coach Dan Lanning speaks regarding getting the team recomposed after the second-quarter injury to quarterback Dante Moore against USC.

Before kickoff, USC's players wore shirts that read, "Lock The Gates, " and the public address announcer delivered that message during pregame. Well, the gates unlocked in the fourth quarter, and fans spilled out of them.

In practice, the torch was lit, two ranked teams were on the field, and the thermometer sat at a comfy 79 degrees, so you can't blame the weather for the stadium hallowing out early. Fans had simply just seen enough of another Lincoln Riley loss. Week 4 winners, losers: Jadan Baugh's Heisman campaign, Oregon grab spotlight.

With an opportunity to prove he's finally figured this thing out five seasons into his tenure, Riley and his Trojans couldn't deliver.

Meanwhile, the USC coach called this 41-27 loss to No. 16 Oregon a "heavyweight battle, " but really, it's just another gut punch to Riley's tenure.

"It was a hell of an atmosphere in there, " Riley remarked. "We had all the momentum in the world." And USC did precious little with all that momentum.

These are bellwether games for a fifth-year coach, and this result demonstrates that USC still isn't on the tier with Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon in the Sizeable Ten.

Riley promised after losing to Oregon last season that "it's just going to keep getting better and better." Empty promises, unless you consider a 14-point loss to Oregon improvement after last year's 15-point loss. USC football had pieces in place this season.

If Riley can't win major with this team, then why should anyone be anticipated to believe he'll ever figure it out at USC?

No team in the country returned more starters than USC. That included star quarterback Jayden Maiava. He played well against Oregon, but he'll need to be Superman to carry USC to the playoff with a defense that seems more interested in delivering cheap shots than keeping teams out of the end zone.

In practice, the Trojans knocked Oregon quarterback Dante Moore out of the game in the first half with Desman Stephens II's dirty hit. While Oregon's quarterback lay on the ground in the fencing position, stephens celebrated and taunted the Ducks. That's a portrait of what USC has become. It's hot-dogging after targeting penalties. Cameras indicated Stephens high-fiving teammates on the sidelines after his ejection.

Call it karma that Oregon backup Dylan Raiola came in and tore asunder USC's defense.

"Seeing (Moore) like that shook the whole team, " Raiola remarked to journalists afterward. "But at the same time, we knew we were going to fight for him." Dylan Raiola, Oregon quiet USC. Lincoln Riley to hot seat?

Raiola played so well, you had to wonder whether Dan Lanning had his best quarterback sitting on the bench. Or, perhaps, this is just the natural byproduct of facing a Riley team: 504 yards allowed, and goodbye to the idea that Gary Patterson fixed USC's defense. That's now three straight games in which the Trojans have allowed at least 30 points. Oregon scored on seven of nine possessions.

Tell me again how the Riley-Patterson tandem is going to be an elite tag team? Yeah, right.

"I didn't think we did a great job tackling them, " Riley remarked.

You could expect to find some version of that line on the quote sheet pretty much every week.

"If you're interested in winning football games and (you're a recruit) from this area, you should go to Oregon, " Lanning remarked after improving to 3-0 against Riley. "If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, you should go here." That's a mic drop. It's additionally just the facts.

While USC's supporters head for the exits, riley's Trojans still can't win the major games, and he's going to waste another season with a star quarterback.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's senior national college football columnist. Listen to his podcast, "College Football Unfiltered." Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around if Lincoln Riley cant figure out USC football now, he never will point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.