Lincoln Riley enters this 2026 season desperate for results. The Big Ten remains the toughest conference in college football. The proof is the conference’s recent success in the College Football Playoff. Lincoln Riley enters this season feeling USC has a chance to hang with the conference juggernauts.
In a tweet from Big Ten media days, USC reporter and analyst Shotgun Spratling summarized Lincoln Riley’s thoughts on his roster this upcoming season. Here is what he said:
“#USC HC Lincoln Riley said the Trojans are more equipped to be a College Football Playoff team this year than ever in his tenure.”
Lincoln Riley has every reason to feel confident with this season’s roster, as this past offseason he welcomed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. That class featured a couple of freshmen who should be ready to make an impact on Day 1. The talent gap is no longer there for USC in the Big Ten. With returning experience at quarterback, talent all over the field on offense, and a defense that should be much improved, sights should be set on the College Football Playoff.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Big Ten media days: Lincoln Riley has big hopes for 2026 USC roster
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Micah Huff, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
