Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans will look to avoid a second straight loss on Saturday against the Michigan Wolverines. The game will have major Big Ten Conference implications, but how much does the game mean for Riley’s tenure with USC?
Riley has been an elite recruiter for the Trojans, but USC fans are still waiting for those recruiting classes to turn the program into a legitimate contender. The Southern California Football Roundtable debated on a scale of 1-10, how important Saturday’s matchup is for Lincoln Riley.
Matt Zemek, Editor
10. You cannot lose to Michigan at home, given how bad the Wolverines looked against Wisconsin. This is absolutely a game USC should win. A loss would dramatically reinforce every worry and every negative inclination about Lincoln Riley. This is a no excuses, “put up or shut up” game for the Trojans. A loss would be an absolute embarrassment. Michigan is not that good.
Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire
Somewhere on the 6-7 range. USC has a pair of uninspiring Big Ten wins over Purdue and Michigan State before falling to Illinois in a very winnable game. The Trojans know that all eyes will be on them in a marquee matchup against the Wolverines and it’d be another gut punch for Riley and USC to fall to 2-2 in conference play.
Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire
I would say seven or eight. It is absolutely a make or break game for this season, but the 2026 recruiting class should buy Riley at least one more year before his seat potentially gets scorching hot.
Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire
This game would probably be an eight on the level of importance it represents for Lincoln Riley. Michigan struggled against Wisconsin, which doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the Wolverines going forward. USC needs to win this game at home to show that they aren’t a middling Big Ten team, but amongst the top.
Micah Huff, Trojans Wire
10. It is a huge game for Lincoln Riley. Riley needs to win this football game, or it will be a very loud week in the media about him and the Trojans. The narratives already were spewed after the Illinois loss, but losing to Michigan would add more fuel to the fire. The Trojans need to win this game.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Roundtable: On a scale of 1-10, how much does Lincoln Riley need a win over Michigan?
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, Ryan Lorenz and Matt Zemek, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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