Would Loss to UCLA Put Lincoln Riley on the Hot Seat?

USC coach Lincoln Riley is 1-1 so far against UCLA in his time as the Trojans' head coach.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

UCLA's matchup against USC has a lot on the line.

Not only is it the biggest game of the season for both programs, but bowl implications are at stake for each team as well, with the Bruins needing to win out to extend their season and USC needing just one win to clinch a bowl berth.

Rivalry games are also huge factors in job stability for coaches. When you can't constistently beat your rivals, the seat gets warmer and warmer.

USC coach Lincoln Riley has had a down year in his third season as the Trojans' head coach. His time at the helm started off tremendously, as he led the team to an 11-3 record that included a trip to the Cotton Bowl, where it ultimately fell to Tulane by just a point.

Then, the Trojans took a step backward when they finished 8-5 last season, narrowly making a bowl game with seven wins.

And here they are today, sitting at 5-5 with postseason hopes in jeopardy.

It's safe to say Riley needs to win Saturday against his rivals to keep the USC faithful at peace for at least another week.

247Sports' Josh Pate evaluated Riley's "approval rating" earlier this month before USC's win over Nebraska. Pate called it "shaky at best."

"On one hand, there's this weird like downward trajectory, which has a lot of people flummoxed," Pate said. "You know how rarely I use that word. He [Riley] took over a 4-8 team, and they go 11-3 Year 1, which turned out to not be the best of omens because then he went 8-5, and then he fired everyone on the defensive staff, and now they're 4-5. So that doesn't look good. If someone's watching that from the International Space Station and they can't see into the weeds. All they see is [descending motion], that's what it seems like. Some of the fan base feels that way as well. He didn't hire right in the beginning. Alex Grinch should never have been the defensive coordinator there. He should not have had the opportunity to come over there. That much is clear. Now, the problem is, Lincoln Riley allowed it to happen. He is responsible for that. I cannot make excuses for the guy on that front. I will personally give him credit for hitting that dump button when he did. But I said when he made those decisions in spring, or after last season, I said it's going to take a while. I don't know if they have the patience out there for it. So do they?"

Following Saturday's rivalry game, USC will then have to host No. 6 Notre Dame.

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