Three reasons why Lincoln Riley is NOT on the hot seat this season

Lincoln Riley is entering his third season as USC head coach. We recently discussed that year three is the most critical because it's when schools, media, and fans expect head coaches to deliver. Riley delivered in his first season in Los Angeles but went backward in 2023.

Less Caleb Williams, Riley's challenge is navigating one of college football's toughest schedules in a new conference. The Big Ten style of football vastly differs from what the Trojans are used to in the overly-finesse Pac-12. Indeed, Big Ten teams do not reach the conference championship game with bad defenses.

Many USC fans are ready to show Riley the door. Such fans are unrealistic in their demands for immediate success. We must consider the situation Riley inherited from Clay Helton. Conversely, there's a valid argument that Riley underacheived by not winning the Pac-12 in either year of Williams' tenure at quarterback.

Moreover, the 40-year-old head coach is to blame for a loyalty to Alex Grinch that lasted a season too long. Better yet, Riley should have left Grinch in Norman back in 2021.

Lincoln Riley's seat seems hotter than most in 2024, and anything less than an at-large College Football Playoff bid will result in his firing. However, there's three reasons the USC head coach's seat will remain cool this season.

The first reason begins with the most important position in team sports.