USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley might be coaching for his job this weekend against the Ohio State Buckeyes. USC is coming off an embarrassing road loss to the Wisconsin Badgers that encapsulated everything wrong with the program under Riley.

The Trojans got punched in the mouth for four quarters on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jayden Maiava had zero time to throw, and USC lost to a quarterback who threw for only 58 yards. 

Now, with a third loss on the line against a Buckeyes team playing without its starting quarterback, Riley’s back is against the wall.

USC can’t beat anyone with a pulse

This whole season has been uncomfortable for the Trojans. They’ve barely been challenged and skirted past the teams they were supposed to beat. But whenever USC has faced a relatively competent opponent, it has lost.

The loss to the Oregon Ducks was a perfect example. Oregon had to turn to Dylan Raiola after Dante Moore got knocked out, and USC still couldn’t capitalize. Then the Trojans followed that up with the performance in Madison.

And now this Saturday has even more pressure on it than before.

The Buckeyes need to turn to an unqualified quarterback, and this is a prime opportunity for USC to beat a top brand when it’s at its weakest. If Riley can’t win this game, I think we need to stop pretending that he’s ever going to win any big games at USC.

The defense might hand Ohio State a lifeline

The most glaring problem standing between USC and a statement win is its own defense. The Trojans rank 110th in EPA per rush allowed and 109th in EPA per pass allowed.

Unfortunately, a defense that bad is the perfect remedy for an offense trying to find its footing. I fully expect this USC unit to let Ohio State figure out its offense in real time, and the Buckeyes could walk out of this game feeling stronger than when they walked in.

That would be a disaster for Riley. Losing to Ohio State at full strength is understandable. Losing to Ohio State with a backup quarterback, after the Wisconsin debacle, would be damning.

Riley’s buyout won’t protect him forever

CBS Sports reported that Riley’s buyout is roughly $70 million. That’s a gigantic total, and it’s the biggest reason he still has some cushion.

Riley has had plenty of time to figure this out, but the Trojans still look like the same soft, undisciplined team they’ve been for years.

The recruiting success doesn’t buy him much leeway either. USC landed the No. 1 recruiting class last year, but that doesn’t guarantee Riley gets to keep his job. If anything, it raises the stakes. Elite talent on the roster makes losses like the one at Wisconsin even harder to explain.

It begs the question of what Riley is actually building in Los Angeles. A coach who can’t win the big games, can’t field a competent defense, and can’t take advantage of a short-handed opponent isn’t the coach who’s going to bring USC back to national relevance.

Another loss like Wisconsin would make it nearly impossible to justify keeping Riley around.