USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley Showered With Boos on ESPN's College GameDay

Anytime that USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley's name was mentioned on ESPN's College GameDay, the Oklahoma Sooners fans booed in unison.

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; From left: Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN College Gameday set at the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As the No. 11 USC Trojans prepare to face the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in one of the biggest matchups of the weekend, ESPN’s College GameDay had plenty to say about the Trojans’ game.

At the start of the show, cast member Pat McAfee previewed the historic matchup.

“I think USC’s defense is also going to have to get used to Big Ten football,” McAfee said. “The move to Alex Orji at quarterback for Sherrone Moore and the Michigan team, I think, is an indicator that ‘Hey, we’re going to get back to pounding the rock.’ There might only be five pass attempts from Michigan today if everything goes well.”

The GameDay crew televised the show from Norman, Oklahoma, as the No. 15 Sooners host No. 6 Tennessee. USC coach Lincoln Riley left the Oklahoma Sooners to accept the job in Southern California three years ago, a decision that surprised the college football world.

Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; From left: Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on the ESPN College Gameday set at the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As Kirk Herbstreit began to talk about Riley and the Trojans, he was showered with “boos” from the Sooner faithful. In fact, every time that Riley received a mention on the show was followed by a chorus of “boos.”

Herbstreit said, “I feel like Lincoln Riley is back to being Lincoln Riley with Miller Moss at quarterback,” before being interrupted by the crowd.

“The other thing I think this USC team has right now is a major chip on their shoulder,” Herbstreit continued. “Caleb Williams left, and with that a lot of the hype and a lot of the expectation left with him. You know what’s happened with Caleb Williams gone? Miller Moss has allowed Lincoln Riley to go back to being the savant, the offensive guru.”

While most of the GameDay cast feels positive about the Trojans, legendary coach Lee Corso believes that Michigan will upset USC. Corso picked the Wolverines as his underdog special of week four.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) drops back to throw the ball against the LSU Tigers in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Michigan star Desmond Howard had high praise for USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn.

“I think one of the greatest hires so far this season was coach Lynn, the defensive coordinator for USC," said Howard. "Obviously they were terrible on defense a year ago. This guy has NFL pedigree, he coached in the NFL and he coached at UCLA. This defense now, they’re not giving up explosive plays. The biggest pass play has been 24 yards. They’re physical up front, but the most important thing, they looked very sloppy a year ago. Not many missed tackles out in space.”

Herbstreit also complimented the Trojans defense, and the coaching staff's ability to find talent in the transfer portal.

"We talked earlier about the transfer portal and picking the right guys," said Herbstreit. "USC with D’Anton Lynn is an example. They have six new starters that they went into the portal. They weren’t necessariliy high profile guys, but they fit inside that lockerroom and have done a great job of meshing into that culture. . . . I think Lincoln Riley doing a great job of being very selective in the portal.”

At the end of the show, Howard picked USC to win. According to host Rece Davis, it is the first time ever that Howard picked against his alma mater, Michigan.

In addition to Howard, coach Nick Saban, McAfee, and Herbstreit all picked the Trojans to leave Ann Arbor with the victory. The only picks for Michigan came from Corso and country music star Blake Shelton, the celebrity guest picker.

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