USC football is gearing up for its debut season in the Big Ten, where they’ll face top-tier competition for conference titles and playoff spots. Head coach Lincoln Riley, who has always aimed to build a championship-caliber team, is eager for the transition.
“There’s no patience,” Riley remarked. “Our patience is — we want it to happen yesterday. That’s been our mentality from day one. Even though we knew we had to build, I made it clear from the start that championships were our goal.”
Since arriving at USC before the 2022 season, Lincoln Riley has consistently emphasized his goal of winning championships. Initially, there were doubts about this ambition, given USC’s poor 4-8 record in Clay Helton’s final year.
Riley silenced the critics by leading USC to the Pac-12’s best record and an impressive 11-3 overall mark in his debut season. Although the Trojans fell short in the Pac-12 Championship Game, they exceeded expectations and established themselves as serious contenders.
Riley continued, “Everybody looked at me like I was crazy and didn’t believe it was possible, but we put ourselves right there. So yeah, there are no limitations on what we can achieve, and we have an incredible sense of urgency. We understand that the key is for everyone involved to stay positive and not get discouraged when things don’t go perfectly.”
Despite their initial success, the Trojans faced challenges in the 2023 season, struggling with issues in their offensive line and a defense ranked 116th nationally. This offseason, USC has focused on addressing these weaknesses, with significant efforts to strengthen their defensive unit.
To address defensive issues, USC hired co-defensive coordinators D’Anton Lynn, formerly UCLA’s DC, and Eric Henderson, previously the Rams’ defensive line coach. Lynn, who significantly improved UCLA’s defense last season, is expected to bring similar results to USC. The defense has also focused on enhancing size and strength, gaining over 1,450 pounds collectively this summer.
The Trojans are hopeful that these changes will pave the way for a successful inaugural Big Ten season. Their 2024 campaign kicks off on August 31 with a game against LSU.