It's Time for Lincoln Riley to Finally Beat Oregon

The USC Trojans football team is about to face one of the most important games of the Lincoln Riley era. Riley is USC's head coach, and he has never beaten the University of Oregon since taking the job. Next Saturday, the Trojans will get another chance to change that. After a rocky win over Rutgers last weekend, the pressure is higher than ever for Riley and his team.

USC's win over Rutgers was not pretty. Rutgers is considered one of the weakest teams in the Big Ten conference, but the Trojans still struggled. The defense gave up big plays, and even the offense looked slow and out of step. These problems have shown up many times before, and Riley has not been able to fix them in four years as coach.

The Oregon game is huge for many reasons. Oregon has made it to the College Football Playoff three out of the last four years. USC has never made it to the Playoff at all. In the two times USC has played Oregon under Riley, Oregon has won both games easily. The Ducks have clearly been the better team.

There was a small sign of hope earlier this season. Oregon lost to Oklahoma State in a surprising upset, which made people wonder if the Ducks were as strong as everyone thought. But that loss actually made things harder for Riley, not easier. If Oregon is weaker right now, there is no good excuse for USC to lose. This is Riley's best chance to finally get that big win.

USC is paying Riley more than $11 million per year to coach their team. Fans and school leaders expected big results by now. But in almost five years and 57 games, Riley has only beaten six ranked teams — and all of those teams ended up finishing the season with four losses. Former USC coach Clay Helton had three wins over top-five teams in just his first 18 games. Riley still does not have a single truly great win to point to.

Off the field, USC fans have something new to look forward to. The LA Times is launching a podcast series called 'House of Troy.' It tells the story of how USC went from a struggling program to a national powerhouse under coach Pete Carroll, and what happened after Carroll left. The first episode drops on September 22. When Carroll was first hired about 25 years ago, many fans were upset, but he went on to win back-to-back national titles with the Trojans.

There are also several smaller stories worth watching around the USC program. Running back King Miller has taken over as the top ball carrier, getting at least 15 carries in every game this season. His teammate Waymond Jordan, who is coming back from ankle surgeries, has had fewer chances to run the ball. Wide receiver Corey Simms had a strong game against Rutgers, catching four passes for 72 yards. Meanwhile, receiver Terrell Anderson was dressed for the game but never played a snap, and no one has explained why.

The offensive line also saw a change, with Kaylon Miller replacing Hayden Treter as the starting left guard. This matters a lot because Oregon has one of the best defensive lines in the country. USC's defense also has injury concerns, as two of their best defensive backs played very few snaps against Rutgers. If more players get hurt before the Oregon game, the defense could be in serious trouble.

On the women's soccer side, things have been difficult. USC's women's soccer team has struggled to score goals all season, getting shut out 5-0 by Michigan State and 2-0 by Purdue in Big Ten play. They did manage a 1-1 tie against Oregon. The Trojans have scored one goal or fewer in seven of their nine games this season. They need to find a way to put more points on the board very soon.

Looking back at USC history, in 2006 the Trojans beat Arizona 20-3 in a strong defensive performance. Linebacker Rey Maualuga led the defense, and running back Emmanuel Moody rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown. USC was ranked third in the country at the time. It is a reminder of how dominant USC once was — and how much the program is working to return to that level today.