"USC literally can't afford to buy out coach Lincoln Riley's contract, which means that until further notice the Trojans will be known as the team that's good enough to not embarrass itself but not good enough to reach the College Football Playoff. In this particular time in this particular market, that pushes USC to the margins of Los Angeles' congested sporting landscape."
"UCLA's incompetence has overshadowed every team in this market outside of the Dodgers and Lakers, and that includes USC. Which speaks to where USC stands right now. The Trojans have become afterthoughts in a market they once owned, and they only have themselves to blame. Their 29-10 victory over the Bad News Bruins at the Coliseum on Saturday didn't change that. The 17th-ranked team in the country, the Trojans are by no means a bad team. They're something worse. They're stuck."
USC occupies a precarious position in the Los Angeles sports landscape, performing well enough to avoid embarrassment but not well enough to contend for national championships. The program cannot afford to buy out coach Lincoln Riley, which limits potential change and labels the team as stuck. Fan loyalty remains evident through strong attendance, yet enthusiasm has waned because expectations for championship-caliber performance go unmet. Notable home victories exist, but season-defining losses undermine the team's progress and reinforce a perception of underachievement in a market crowded with high-expectation franchises.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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