"This was what Lincoln Riley wanted. A half-empty Coliseum. An overwhelmed opponent. The anonymous visitors from Palookaville booed as they marched onto the field. Los Angeles is about big events, and there was nothing big about USC 's season opener on Saturday, save for the margin of victory. There were no conclusions to draw from the 73-13 victory over Missouri State. There were no definitive statements that could be made about the direction of the program."
"The soft early-season schedule will place USC in a limbo of sorts, as it will be incapable of generating any excitement for its team. Riley's program has exhausted the benefit of the doubt following two underwhelming seasons. Until the Trojans can prove they are legitimate national championship contenders, they won't be viewed as one. By finishing 7-6 last season and 8-5 the season before,"
Lincoln Riley aims to elevate USC into a national power but scheduled weak early opponents, producing a lopsided 73-13 opener that offers no meaningful evaluation. USC will play Georgia Southern and rebuilding Purdue before a true test against Michigan State on Sept. 20. The soft early schedule risks leaving the program in limbo, unable to generate excitement or prove championship-caliber status. Riley has only modest improvement after two underwhelming seasons, which invites comparisons to his predecessor. Financial and expectation pressures mean Riley may have limited time; wins over top programs are required to validate national-title aspirations.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]