When Lincoln Riley was named the 30th head coach in the history of USC football, fans of the once-mighty program had reason for optimism with the addition of a young, experienced coach who had led Oklahoma to a 55-10 record in five seasons under his guidance. The team went 11-1 in Riley's first twelve games as head coach, but things have been spiraling since the team's crushing 46-45 defeat to Tulane in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.

The Trojans are 7-7 in their last 14 games and have three straight defeats, including their recent loss to archrival UCLA in the final game of the 2023-24 season. Despite the program's struggles, Riley remains awkwardly insistent the program remains relevant in the minds of college football fans, according to Shotgun Spratling of The Peristyle.

“The year didn't finish the way that we wanted and two days later, you got a million things going on in the sports world and one of top stories still is USC football,” Riley said. “Now, we have to change the narrative of the story.”

USC in the college football world

The team has quickly become an afterthought in the college football world, with fans, media, and ex-players alike all offering ideas on how to turn the program around.

Looking ahead, things aren't about to get any easier for Riley's beleaguered Trojans. The team will limp into a new conference for the 2023-24 season as they join a realigned Big 10 Conference — without their Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams. There have been rumors that Lincoln Riley might join his quarterback in the NFL next season despite the fact his USC pact is believed to be worth over $100 million.

The Trojans' future QB crop consists of redshirt junior Miller Moss and sophomore Malachi Nelson. Moss has been lauded for his big arm, quick release, and sound grasp of the quarterback position, although his athleticism pales in comparison to Caleb Williams. Nelson, meanwhile, shares Moss' elite arm talent but also has shown an ability to extend plays after the pocket breaks down, a highly coveted trait among contemporary QBs.