Lincoln Riley Issues Stark Warning About USC’s Future at Big Ten Media Days originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Lincoln Riley is entering a pivotal fourth season as the head coach of the USC Trojans football program.

Following this year's Big Ten Media Days, the USC Trojans reassured college football fans that USC is prepared for a redemption season after a productive offsea

Despite a reported buyout of $80 million, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Riley has to be on the hot seat heading into his fourth season.

Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans didn't have a great start to their Big Ten stint after a period in the Pac-12. They wrapped up the 2024 season with a 7-6 record after going 8-5 a year before.

A lot of Lincoln Riley's words on Thursday sounded tough, but diving into them just a little reveals a head coach just looking for the easy way out.