USC coach Lincoln Riley will enter his fifth season at the helm of the Trojans under immense pressure to deliver on the hype that he arrived at the program with from Oklahoma. The Trojans saw a marked improvement last season, finishing with a 9-4 record, but fell just short of contending for the Big Ten and national championships.
Why Analyst Dan Wetzel Doubts Lincoln Riley and USC in 2026
After a positive spring, Riley’s Trojans have been tabbed to be one of the dark horses for the competitive Big Ten and a spot in the College Football Playoff, appearing in several way-too-early top-25 rankings.
During Tuesday’s segment of the “College GameDay” podcast, ESPN analyst Dan Wetzel was not convinced about USC’s potential to challenge for the top honors in the Big Ten and the national landscape next season.
“I’m gonna go good to really good,” Wetzel said. “I gotta see it from this USC team. I gotta see how a USC team plays in the Big Ten with that much travel. I know it’s an excuse, but it’s also a reality. Are they really ready for that grind? They have the potential to be great, no question.
“But, they’ve had a lot of promise the last few years. The fact that Lincoln is like, ‘we can really compete,’ is like, really, it took that long? I’m really not convinced. I gotta see it, can they handle that grind? To be great, you gotta be top two in the Big Ten and I don’t know that they can handle that all the way. Good? Sure. Great? I’m not sure.”
Riley showed off his recruitment nous by bringing in the No. 1 recruitment class in the country, alongside the No. 45 transfer portal class in college football, to retool his roster ahead of a pivotal season.
The Trojans are one of the few top teams in the country that will have continuity under center as Jayden Maiava, who earned a PFSN College QB Impact score of 93.1, will return to the team alongside five of the Trojans’ starting offensive linemen.
In his breakout season, Maiava tallied 3,711 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while adding 157 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
In four seasons at the helm of the Trojans, Riley has only managed one double-digit winning season, often flattering to deceive. Despite the optimism surrounding the program, according to the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter, the Trojans are expected to win 7.82 games next season.
