The rest-of-season outlook for the ‘23 Trojans has changed considerably after their most recent losses to then-No. 21 Notre Dame and then-No. 14 Utah. Many storylines have mounted in the days following, a good amount surrounding Coach Lincoln Riley.
Riley missed 2 days of practice this week for the first time in 20 years after a brief bout of pneumonia. Critics were quick to conclude that Riley may be entertaining leaving for the NFL, seeking employment elsewhere, or just doesn’t have his head in the USC program fully. What else could have been the reason for such a sudden disappearance?
When Riley came to USC, he was touted as the savior for a football program that has grossly underperformed over the past decade. His first season came with a lot of success and a lot of hope for potential growth in his second year. While the season isn’t over yet, the expectations in many critics’ eyes have not been met. Riley’s absence from practice this week was yet another reason for those same critics to pile on the insults.
But Riley’s absence proves something that should have been apparent from the beginning – he is only human. Yes, he is one of the premier coaches in the country and one of the few people who have the ability to turn this storied program around. But with the roster he inherited, with the USC brand still tainted from years of mediocrity, he should not have been expected to live up to the expectations set for him in year two.
In his weekly media availability on Thursday, he addressed his illness and where he believes the team and program as a whole currently stand.
“Competitively, I’m stubborn,” Riley said. “Last week felt like I was in one of those positions where do you take away from the prep or do you do what you probably should do for your body? I chose A, and I paid for it early this week.
“I’m very invested in this team, this program,” Riley continued. “I want to win badly and want to do anything I can do to help these players and coaches.”
Riley’s commitment to the program did not seem to be in question. This tough stretch in the grand scheme of returning USC to national relevance will hopefully be an afterthought in the coming years.
As far as junior quarterback Caleb Williams goes, as well as the rest of the team for the rest of this season, Riley feels like there is still very much something to play for and that they aren’t far off from finding that spark.
“We do kind of feel like we’re a group that’s maybe one little spark away from really taking off,” Riley said. “[Caleb] is still very engaged; he wants to win very badly and wants to improve and do as much as he can for the team. … He wants to lead these guys. He wants to play better. He wants to win, obviously, like we all do.”
A strong showing over these last four regular season games can help immensely on the recruiting trail, a place where USC has been lacking in its mediocre stretch this past decade.
“There’s a process that we’re right in the middle of, and I think we’ve made great progress on, but we still clearly have a lot of work to do,” Riley said. “The brand, though, and the USC degree … is still incredibly high.”
“The exciting thing here is I still think we’re in just the beginning stages of this, from a recruiting standpoint,” Riley continued. “I don’t even think we’re at our best yet. I think when we get our best we’re going to be pretty tough to beat.”
The long-term future is still bright for the Trojans. They have a coaching staff that’s wholeheartedly committed to bringing success back to the program, and a host of players who feel the same way. Their matchup against Cal Saturday is a chance to get back in the win column, and get some momentum before they face a dangerous Washington team on Nov. 4.