By Rock Westfall
The USC Trojans hired Lincoln Riley for immediate results and instant gratification. The proud Trojan football program celebrated Riley as an instant savior, based on his impressive record at Oklahoma.
While leading the Sooners, Riley achieved multiple College Football Playoff berths. Three of his quarterbacks made the final table at the Downtown Athletic Club, and two of them (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray) struck a Heisman Trophy pose.
Following the 2009 departure of head coach Pete Carroll, one step ahead of the NCAA posse and its sanctions, the Men of Troy suffered through 12 seasons of football that wasn’t up to the Trojan standard.
With its sense of college football entitlement and privilege, USC backed up the truck for Riley. It cost USC almost $20 million just to spring Riley from Oklahoma, not including what was then the richest contract ever for a college football coach, estimated at $110 million over 10 years.
But after an 11-3 debut season in 2022, Riley’s USC program has rapidly disintegrated. In fact, Riley’s Trojans have dropped eight of their last 13 games. Even worse, USC is 1-3 in its four Big Ten Conference games, failing to finish games and man up on the interior, where B1G games are ultimately won.
This is not what USC paid for. Lincoln Riley has committed the ultimate Hollywood sin. He is losing games and the box office with a substandard production.
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Lincoln Riley’s estimated USC buyout is $88 million. But with Big Ten TV contract riches and a well-heeled donor base, the Men of Troy may have to pass the hat. As the saying goes, what should be done tomorrow must be done today.
It is time for Urban renewal.
The Greatest Recruiter in College Football History
The last time we saw Urban Meyer patrolling a sideline, it did not go well. Meyer went 2-11 with full control of the Jacksonville Jaguars amidst allegations of being out of touch with and abusing players. Also, there were viral photos of him touching a much younger lady in all the wrong places at an Ohio bar after flying home with his team following a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The next season without Meyer, Jacksonville won a playoff game, and second-year sensation Trevor Lawrence made the Pro Bowl. The results further humiliated Meyer, who appeared to be utterly discredited.
Despite his NFL flop, nobody doubts Meyer’s ability to lead power programs in college football successfully. His career record is 187-32, with three national championships and a lengthy list of related achievements and awards.
Meyer’s biggest problem was that he was unable to handle losing in the college ranks. Meyer suffered from such health issues as esophageal spasms, headaches, and arachnoid cysts. Yet when he was getting his head handed to him in the NFL, none of those issues flared up.
Urban Meyer holding his own personal pizza party right now: pic.twitter.com/SxNhZgJC6t
— College Sports Only 🏈🏀⚾️ (@CollegeSportsO) December 6, 2015
The Godfather himself, Mike Farrell, calls Meyer the greatest recruiter in college football history. There is little doubt that with a marquee program in an area that remains fertile with top prospects, Meyer could quickly get USC back to an elite level. Equally important is Meyer’s utter mastery of the Big Ten Conference and its recruiting footprints.
When Meyer arrived at Ohio State in 2012, Big Ten recruiting was a gentlemanly country club. This was reflected on the field, where the league suffered in comparison to the SEC. But Meyer brought the SEC cutthroat recruiting mentality that he learned as head coach of the Florida Gators to the Big Ten. The league quickly adapted and significantly improved because of it.
Hard to fathom how @LincolnRiley keeps his job. He was hired to replace Clay Helton who had coached the program into mediocrity. Riley was the big time hire who was paid to elevate the program to its former glory. But he's been no better than Helton. One can argue he's been worse
— Dave Lowe (@DaveLowedown) October 12, 2024
Is USC Man Enough for Meyer?
As I warned after their loss at Michigan, USC is not man enough to succeed in the Big Ten. It ranks 73rd for rushing offense and 80th for stopping the run, which is indicative of soft interior lines.
Now in his third season, Riley’s record is 22-11, and in a free fall. Equally important is that Riley is proving incapable of building an elite program. At Oklahoma, he was given the keys to a Ferrari after learning how to drive it as the OU offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops. There was nothing to build in Oklahoma as there is at USC.
Being a mediocre coach and a loser in the Big Ten in his third season is not what Riley got the big bucks for. There is no traction for USC under Riley.
Urban Meyer knows how to build champions. At age 60, he is still young enough for a final run at Glory. It is doubtful that he wants the Jacksonville experience to be the final memory of his coaching career.
Most importantly, Meyer has proven he can dominate on the recruiting trail and in the Big Ten, where he went 54-4 with three league championships.
Urban Meyer is what USC needs.
Just how much do you really want it, Troy Boys?
USC is now 3-3 and headed for another disappointing season. Are high-level recruits going to flock here now because they’re feeling the vibe of something special going on? Nope. This loss has sent the program into an iceberg. We had to win it. We failed. Again.
— RichSC (@OriginalRichSC) October 12, 2024
