USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley sends a powerful message to anyone who is doubting his players from here on out
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley wasn’t messing around.
Entering this week, coming off a bye, USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley dealt with everyone coming for his job based on the way they lost the game to Illinois. Not only that, but all of the things said about his team, like that they were soft, before this Big Ten matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.
“I just felt like they just were not going to come out here with anything less than a win,” Riley told reporters after the game. “You could just feel it with the group. [It was] one of the best weeks of preparation that we have had since I’ve been coaching here.”
USC beat up on the Wolverines, easily, making them look like the new kid in the Big Ten.
USC lands in AP Top 25 Poll after dominant showing
USC beat No. 15 Michigan 31-13, with their defense and offense showing how good they could be, and this wasn’t just a Michigan team that was bad; they had one of the better defenses in the country, and a pretty good run game. USC shut all that down and then put up 31 to go along with it.
Now, USC, which wasn’t ranked prior to this game, is ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll. USC only has one loss on the year as they sit at 5-1. They don’t have the easiest schedule remaining, with next week against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, then against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, followed by an eventual game against the Oregon Ducks, who did lose to Indiana but are still very good.
USC Trojans’ defensive stats in 2025 coming into matchup vs. Michigan
- 354.4 Total Yards Per Game Allowed
- 251.1 Passing Yards Per Game
- 108.4 Rushing Yards Per Game
- 23 Points Allowed Per Game
They have the team to win out, and then have one hell of a resume to be in the College Football Playoffs. However, how they played on Saturday against Michigan is pretty much how they would have to play, if not better at some points, in those games I just listed. It’s doable, and Riley just showed that his team can play that way. They play that way; it’s going to be hard to beat this team.
It’s crazy the difference a week or two can make in college football.
Michigan Wolverines News
Michigan Wolverines’ defensive woes against USC Trojans all point to one common denominator, and it’s worrisome for the rest of the season
The Michigan Wolverines have a problem on their coaching staff, and it needs to get fixed ASAP.
