The former Sooners-turned-USC head coach doubles down on his infamous BBQ disaster, blaming a Worcestershire bath for the charred appearance while insisting the dry, viral meat was actually delicious
Former Oklahoma and current USC head coach Lincoln Riley popped up on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast with Big Cat and PFT Commenter at Big Ten Media Days, and somehow the conversation turned back to that viral brisket he tried to cook while he was still in Norman.
Yes, the same one that looked like it had been left in the sun for three days. Riley is still out here defending it like it was a national championship trophy (which would be hard for him to find).
Riley tried to explain what went wrong (or in his mind, what didn’t). "The smoke ring's gone because of the Worcestershire bath—obviously the dark liquid, it's a goner."
He went on, "The brisket was really, really good. People say it wasn't, they weren't there. Yes, it was."
Man, the denial is strong with this one. The Worcestershire bath excuse is classic. He basically took a beautiful piece of meat and drowned it in dark sauce until all the good color disappeared.
But sure, Lincoln, the people who saw the picture and gagged weren’t there, so their eyes must be lying. The people he fed were being nice and just wanted an Easter Sunday without any drama.
He also tried to lower expectations on his cooking skills. "I’m not a great cook, but I think I’m a decent cook. I’m not a brisket aficionado, so I don't have the pink right there on it... That's how the whole thing came about."
At least he’s honest about not being a great cook. “Decent” might be generous though. That brisket looked like it needed a rescue team, not a fork. It was basically jerky!
Big Cat had the best line of the whole segment: “Never post your meat on the internet. It’s always going to end up bad.”
Truer words have never been spoken. Riley learned that one the hard way.
Sooner fans, in true loyal fashion, went out of their way to defend the brisket when it first dropped. Some were out here saying it looked “fire” and “perfectly cooked.”
Then Riley left for USC and suddenly everyone turned on it. One of the very first things Sooner Nation did after he bounced was finally roast that dry piece of meat like the rest of the internet had been doing for awhile. It was beautiful.
In Riley’s defense (if we’re being nice), good brisket is hard to find in Southern California. Oklahoma has a rich barbecue culture with incredible spots everywhere. LA has avocado toast and overpriced poke bowls.
No wonder he thinks his version was good, he probably hasn’t had real brisket since he left Norman.
There isn’t enough sauce in the world to save that thing. It looked like it had been through a drought, a wildfire, and then got hit with a Worcestershire hurricane. The smoke ring was gone, the color was off, and it just looked sad.
But Riley is sticking to his guns.
The man left Oklahoma for LA and still won’t admit his brisket was mid at best.
Riley seems like a guy who can laugh at himself (sometimes), and the whole thing has become a running joke in college football circles. Every time someone posts bad cooking photos, the Riley brisket memes come back out. It’s part of his legacy now, whether he likes it or not. He doesn't have much of a legacy at USC since Caleb Williams left anyway.
At the end of the day, Lincoln Riley can cook however he wants in his own backyard. But posting it online? That’s where he went wrong.
Never post your meat on the internet, folks. Big Cat warned us.
