Not quite the hot seat, coach Lincoln Riley needs to show development at USC

In terms of coach Lincoln Riley needing to guide USC to wins this upcoming season, to an extent, yes, the Trojan HC is on the hot seat. This is not, however, in the traditional sense of the term, meaning that his job is on the line, per se. For the Trojans to consider letting coach Riley go at this point in his contract, it would take a sub-.500 year and a couple of ugly losses in order for that type of conversation to even begin.

Instead, the upcoming season is more about providing assurance and preventing the program from being in a position where coach Riley is legitimately in conversations that involve his questionable job security.

It is more important to have a good year to allow the focus in the building and outside to remain on the improvements and right strides that continue to take place in Troy. A bad season, or a losing season (which would be a disaster), would then shift the attention from a lot of the good aspects toward a constant, more direct dialogue over coach Riley's future in Los Angeles. It is, therefore, important for that cloud over the program to not even formulate in the first place, which can be done through a good season that is set to begin in about a month and a half's time.

Need for continued growth at USC

Certainly, coach Riley believes that he has learned from his past mistakes, and some of the changes that have already taken place within the program would likely help to give the current head coach an extra boost of security in the event that things do not go according to plan. Because of some of the recent developments, though it may frustrate Trojan fans, coach Riley would be given a little more leeway.

Looking even beyond that, USC is not a school that will be satisfied with doing just enough to avoid turmoil. The goal is to pursue a championship. In that regard, 2025 is immensely important. Although job security and the recruiting classes play a role, this upcoming season needs to serve as a springboard toward the overarching goal of being in playoff contention. From that standpoint, yes, there needs to be continued improvement on the field, and USC has to prove that the Trojans are indeed on the way back to national prominence.