USC Win Gives Lincoln Riley First Step Toward Redemption

Lincoln Riley did something that Mike Norvell, Brent Venables, Deion Sanders and Greg Schiano all failed to do: give their fan bases a reason to believe they can still restore the program to its former glory and change the narrative surrounding their future.

On Saturday night, millions of eyes were on the Coliseum in Los Angeles to see whether USC could finally deliver a signature win under Lincoln Riley.

With rain falling, Riley's team did just that, beating the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 30-18 in a statement victory.

While the game was far from perfect, USC did enough in all three phases to send Ohio State back to Columbus with its second loss of the season while delivering the statement win so many had been waiting to see from Riley's team.

The significance of the win, and the opportunity to silence some of the outside criticism, wasn't lost on Riley.

“This wins is for all the staff members, the players, the leaders, admin, all the people within the walls,” Riley said. “I'm the right person for this job, and as long as all those people know that, that's all I care about.”

While there is no denying the significance of the win, Ohio State being without its starting quarterback, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, certainly played a role in USC's ability to pull off the upset.

Having said that, there is no denying Riley deserves credit for getting his team ready for a prime-time showdown coming off one of its worst performances in his tenure, a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin only the week prior.

Now after avoiding disaster with the win the pressure on Riley and the administration appears to be easing off. At least for a few weeks during the bye, but it will quickly return once the Trojans take the field again.

The reason its easing off is simple: USC has put its College Football Playoff hopes back in its own hands, and the fans can sense what is possible.

That leaves Riley with little room for error, especially with a matchup against UCLA looming at the end of the season.

Ultimately, the matchup against UCLA could determine whether USC overcomes its early-season struggles and achieves its goals of reaching the Big Ten Championship game and College Football Playoff or has another disappointing season.

The Trojans now get two weeks to regroup, rest and refocus for the final stretch run of the season, starting with a matchup against top-ten-ranked Indiana on the road.

This will give Riley a chance for another signature win and to change the narrative surrounding his team's struggles on the road since joining the Big Ten.

Curt Cignetti's side looks far from unbeatable, having needed overtime in back-to-back weeks against Michigan and Minnesota.

The biggest concern for the Hoosiers is their inconsistency at quarterback.

Josh Hoover hasn't looked the same since the Ohio State game and was benched in the second half against the Golden Gophers after the offense once again struggled to find its rhythm.

If you have two quarterbacks, you don’t have one, the adage goes, and with that looking to be the case at Indiana, it's a golden opportunity for Gary Patterson's defense to take advantage of a team struggling at the most important position on the field.

They follow that up with a home game against a Maryland team that’s already moved on from its head coach and is still looking for its first conference win of the season.

For Riley, the statement win over Ohio State has to be only the beginning.  

If he can take the momentum and carry it into the final stretch, he could turn a season that appeared headed for disappointment into one that rebuilds the confidence in his future in Los Angeles.

For USC, the focus now shifts to Tuesday night's first CFP rankings, which should provide a clearer picture of where the Trojans stand.

Regardless of their initial ranking, if they win out and finish 10-2, it’s hard to imagine the committee leaving them out, given the national attention the program and Riley bring in, along with the Trojans’ ability to draw viewers.