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

No. 1 - Lincoln Riley is too expensive

USC paid Lincoln Riley a record $19.7 million from July 2022 to July 2023. Such came after the school paid Oklahoma a $4.5 million buyout. Another consideration is the check USC gave Clay Helton to go away.

USC doesn't disclose figures publicly, but many believe Helton's buyout was over $10 million. The fact the former USC head coach is only receiving an $800k salary from Georgia State confirms he's still receiving a hefty payday from Troy.

A recent article suggests USC would owe Riley more than $80 million to fire him. Granted, the Trojans are not strapped for cash, but paying two fired head coaches nearly $100 million combined doesn't brief well. Fans must also consider what it will cost USC to hire another big-name head coach.

Paying new and ex-head coaches lucrative sums hinders the Trojans' ability to keep up with the competitive NIL market.

USC's investment in Riley shows they believe in his ability to ascend the program back to national championship contention. Thus, cutting him loose after three seasons is an admission of failure that university big whigs would care to admit.

Texas A&M gave Jimbo Fisher a lot of money on the confidence he would turn the Aggies into a perennial contender. He ultimately failed, and the university admitted their failure. But Texas A&M cut ties with Fisher after six years.

We suspect Riley will be afforded at least five years to put USC into the College Football Playoff before the administration considers cutting ties. For now, Riley's seat in Southern California is cold and will remain so for the foreseeable future.