On the whole, Lincoln Riley has not met expectations in his first two years as the head coach of the USC Trojans. Riley cut and ran from the Oklahoma Sooners in the dead of night after the 2021 season. In turn, he ran off to La-La Land. Riley was celebrated as the perfect College Football Betting fit for a school that had plenty of skill. But USC should have studied Riley’s record at Oklahoma more closely. While Riley was an undeniable quarterback whisperer with prolific offenses, his defenses were consistently defenseless.
College Football Futures 2024 USC Trojans
| USC Trojans Odds to Win National Championship | +4000 |
|---|---|
| USC Trojans Odds to Win Big Ten Championship | +2200 |
| Over/Under Win Total: | 7.5 |
2024 USC Trojans Schedule
- Sept. 1 vs. LSU (Las Vegas)
- Sept. 7 vs. Utah State
- Sept. 14 Idle
- Sept. 21 at Michigan
- Sept. 28 vs. Wisconsin
- Oct. 5 at Minnesota
- Oct. 12 vs. Penn State
- Oct. 19 at Maryland
- Oct. 26 vs. Rutgers
- Nov. 2 at Washington
- Nov. 9 Idle
- Nov. 16 vs. Nebraska
- Nov. 23 at UCLA
- Nov. 30 vs. Notre Dame
Now, Riley is facing doubts and criticism after two under-par campaigns. It was said that Riley bailed on Oklahoma to avoid its move to the SEC. Instead, he ended up at a program that will move to the tough-as-nails Big Ten. If Riley’s teams have never had a physical presence, it would be a good idea to start in 2024.
2024 USC Trojans Preview
There’s enough sportsbook talent and coaching acumen for USC to be a fringe College Football Playoff contender in the expanded 12-team field. Still, the general unknown at quarterback combined with a transition to the Big Ten could make for an uneven 2024 campaign. Also, the Trojans need to make big-time progress on defense and solidify the offensive line. Physicality is needed to challenge Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State atop the conference.
Certainly, fielding a productive offense has never been a problem for Lincoln Riley. The Air Raid savant has produced a Top-8 scoring offense in all seven of his seasons as a head coach. He has the rare College Football Betting distinction of being the only head coach to tutor three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks. The most recent being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams.
Still, losing a dazzling dual-threat signal-caller like Williams, combined with the move to the Big Ten, has introduced an element of skepticism. The Trojans are indeed transitioning into a more defensive-minded league. Still, they’ll also be relying on a host of new offensive starters across the board who are either underclassmen or inexperienced (or both).
The USC defense is undergoing a radical makeover highlighted by new coordinator D’Anton Lynn. Previously, Lynn arrived from UCLA after taking the Bruins from 87th in total defense to 11th in just one year. Also, Riley lured FCS North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz to serve as linebackers coach. So, too, is Super Bowl-winner Eric Henderson is the new line coach. And then former Houston DC Doug Belk will revamp the secondary.
Of great concern are questions about the depth and overall talent level. DT Bear Alexander, LB Eric Gentry, and DB Akili Arnold are players to build around at all three levels. Still, it may not be until deep into the conference schedule that meaningful progress is made elsewhere.