Critical 2025 has a lot of pressure for coach Lincoln Riley at USC

It is clear that coach Lincoln Riley is under a lot of pressure this season. After what was a good first year as the USC HC, coach Riley has since seen his teams regress. This aspect was particularly highlighted in the program's inaugural year in the Big Ten.

Now, the heat is on for coach Riley. It cannot, though, be questioned as to how good of a coach he is. He coached multiple Heisman Trophy winners and has shown the ability, particularly on offense, to be an elite coach.

In Troy, however, to this point, things have not exactly come together.

This is part of what makes the 2025 season so critical. It is not too likely that coach Riley would actually be on the hot seat at this point in his contract. This is to say that it would take something along the lines of a four-win season for the Trojans to consider moving on from him. In all likelihood, coach Riley will remain on the sidelines for 2026.

Still, things can get uncomfortable in a hurry in this sport. An aspect that is not needed in any program is something that will distract or take away from the needed focus at hand.

Reason for legitimate hope at USC

That being said, coach Riley needs to be given credit for the steps that he has taken to ensure that the bleeding stops and that the Trojans can begin to muster a more formidable opposition for their Big Ten counterparts.

Coach Riley came to Los Angeles to be a national contender. Since then, the expectations of what Trojan fans are looking for have gone down. He knows, however, what the ultimate goal is. While it may not be what Tojan fans would like to hear, 2025 is a stepping-stone year. That can happen, though, while also compiling wins and showing the improvement that has taken place behind the scenes.