Can Lincoln Riley Coach USC to the Finish Line in 2026?

Can Lincoln Riley coach the No. 16 USC Trojans (6-1) to the finish line this season, where a Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff await the winner.?

There are three ranked teams still left on the remaining schedule for USC, all currently ranked in the top ten: No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, and No. 9 UCLA.

First, they have to get past the Wisconsin Badgers (4-2) on the road. 

The Trojans are playing good, complimentary football and have the talent, both veteran and true freshmen, to win that Big Ten title and earn that playoff berth.

Riley has a 41-19 record at USC, and coached the Trojans to an 11-3 record and a berth in the PAC-12 Championship Game in 2022.

At times, Riley was under intense scrutiny from the media and the fan base after going 24-15 in the three seasons that followed that 11-win season.

Many wanted Riley fired.

However, it appears that Riley has righted the ship, with the right combination of players and resources, and has the Trojans moving like a juggernaut toward those championship goals.

Three things that have aided USC this season:

The USC coaching staff and the NIL Collective, known as House of Victory, put together as much as $9 million in NIL contracts to get the best players to sign with USC.

According to 247 Sports, the Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2026. And it has paid off.

Almost half of that class showed their talent on the field in fall camp and in practice each week.

As a result, those true freshmen have worked their way into the playing rotation. Edge Luke Wafle, receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, and receiver Trent Mosley lead this rookie contingent.

Wafle leads the team in tackles for loss; Dixon-Wyatt and Mosley have combined for nine TD catches. Many have won Big Ten Player of the Week awards.

Also, tight end Mark Bowman, running backs Shahn Alston and Deshonne Redeaux, and quarterback Jonas Williams all have played and contributed this season as true freshmen.

The addition of Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator was a home run hire for Riley.

On Patterson’s watch this season, USC is ranked No. 32 nationally in rushing defense (111 yards/game) and No. 24 in the country in opponents’ third down conversions (32 percent).

Twice this season, the Trojans have held opponents to less than 100 yards rushing, including 68 yards and 2.19 yards per carry in the 31-23 road victory over Penn State.

On a two-game winning streak, USC has held Washington and Penn State to less than 20 percent conversion rate on third down. Those are the Trojans best performances so far this season.

According to a story by Michael J. Donnelly of newsexpeditions.com, Bowden was hired away from Notre Dame last season. He is the first ever general manager at USC.

When he arrived in Los Angeles, he carried with him a vision and an organizational plan for recruiting, evaluation, and roster building.

Bowden wanted USC to be the most aggressive program in the NIL space in college football. So, he set up shop like an NFL front office.

Riley articulates his player needs. Bowden and his staff go to work and evaluate available talent. Then the NIL collective and the administration determine how to properly fund these player acquisitions.

Riley has not had a losing season at USC. There are many schools in the FBS who would love to be able to say that about their head coach.

Riley has the leading passer in the Big Ten, Jayden Maiava, triggering his offense.

He has the right players in the right seats on the bus to maintain the momentum they have created over the last two weeks. They are playing like championship contenders right now.