USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley Rejects Departure Rumors Ahead of Ohio State

Lincoln Riley says he is staying at the University of Southern California.

The head coach spoke this week after a 6-2 season reached a critical juncture. USC dropped a recent game to Wisconsin, leaving the team with two losses and a fragile position in the College Football Playoff picture. The next test arrives this weekend when the Trojans host the No. 2 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. If USC loses to another backup quarterback in Big Ten play, the pressure on Riley will increase further.

Riley addressed questions about his long-term future in Los Angeles directly. He stated that he remains happy at the program and pointed out that he left a major position at Oklahoma to accept the USC job. "I love it here," Riley said. "I've told you guys many times. There's not many people in college football history who gave up what I gave up to come here. I don't care if it's 15 years down the line. That should never be taken lightly, and it's not taken lightly by me. I came here because this is where I wanted to be. I came here because I believe in this place, and none of that has changed whatsoever."

The coach acknowledged the high expectations that come with coaching a blue-blood program. He noted that he has entered every season with championship goals. "Every single year I've went in with high standards and championship expectations," Riley said. "The first loss I had at Oklahoma, I didn't think I was gonna be able to get out of bed the next morning. On top of that, there were people trying to run me out of town right away. I learned a lesson pretty quick that the highs and lows of this thing, if you let those get to you, then you're not the right person for the job."

Riley has not secured a win against a ranked opponent this season. His two losses came against an unranked Oregon team and Wisconsin. In his first season at USC, Riley won 11 games. Since then, the team has not reached double-digit victories or advanced to the College Football Playoff. The athletic director, Jennifer Cohen, was not the executive who hired Riley. Despite that, Riley described their relationship as "fantastic" and praised her support for the football program. "She's a tremendous AD," Riley said. "Even though she's not the AD I came here with and I'm not the coach she hired, we have a fantastic relationship. She's been a huge part of all the progress we've made and has been incredibly supportive."

Three other Power Four head coaching positions are currently open. More vacancies are expected to arise over the next month. A victory over Ohio State would expand USC's playoff path and provide Riley with a major win. A loss would likely bring more scrutiny to his tenure in the coming weeks.