USC Football: Lincoln Riley on Getting Team Ready for Big Ten, 'We Want it to Happen Yesterday'

The Trojans officially became part of the Big Ten on Friday.

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

USC football is preparing for its first season as part of the Big Ten conference, where competition is expected to ramp up as they compete with some of the best teams in the nation for conference titles and playoff berths.

This is exactly what head coach Lincoln Riley is seeking, as he has always intended to form a team capable of competing with the best, which can be seen in Big Ten teams like Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State.

“Well, there’s no patience. It’s just an understanding of it is what it is. Our patience is — we want it to happen yesterday,” Riley said while speaking with reporters. “And that’s been our mentality from the day we walked in here. I mean, despite all the things we knew, gotta build and you guys, probably most of you were there, the day I got hired I stood up there and said ‘Championships are going to be the deal from the beginning.’

Since he first arrived at USC ahead of the 2022 season, Riley has made it clear that his goal is to win championships. His goals were doubted at the start, as USC was coming off of a 4-8 record in Clay Helton's final year leading the program.

Riley proved all the doubts wrong by leading USC to the Pac-12's best record and an 11-3 overall record in his first season with the Trojans. While the Trojans ended up losing in the Pac-12 Championship Game, they overcame expectations and emerged as contenders.

“And everybody looked at me like I was crazy and nobody thought it was possible and we put ourselves right there," Riley added. "So yeah, no limitations on what we can do, there’s definitely no patience. There’s an incredible sense of urgency but we also understand that the key is everybody involved, we can’t ever get down when one thing doesn’t go perfect.”

The Trojans did disappoint during the following season in 2023 as they could not overcome the holes in their offensive line and a defense that ranked 116th in all of college football. This offseason, they have taken steps to shore up those areas, particularly on defense.

Defensively, USC hired co-defensive coordinators in former UCLA DC D'Anton Lynn and former Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson. Lynn transformed UCLA's defense into one of the NFL's best a season ago and looks to do the same at USC. The defense has also prioritized bulking up as a team and gained over 1,450 pounds as a team this summer to increase their size and strength.

The Trojans are optimistic that these changes and improvements will lead them to a successful first season in the Big Ten. Their 2024 campaign begins Aug. 31 with a matchup against LSU.