USC-UCLA winners and losers: Lincoln Riley proves he's the man for the job

The USC Trojans wrapped up their regular season with a 29-10 win over the UCLA Bruins. A dominant second half allowed them to shut out the Bruins and complete a perfect 7-0 home record for 2025. Sitting at 9-3, the Trojans now shift their focus to National Signing Day with goals aiming to lock up the nation’s top recruiting class before preparing for their bowl game.

Winners

Lincoln Riley

Riley has now completed two full seasons coaching USC in the Big Ten, and while there was considerable speculation about how the Trojans would adapt to the conference’s more physical style of play, some questions persist. Nevertheless, this season has gone a long way in demonstrating that a team led by Riley can exhibit the toughness required to compete with the formidable Midwest opponents they encounter.

When the final whistle sounded, confirming USC’s second consecutive victory over UCLA, Lincoln Riley improved his home record against Big Ten opponents to 8-1, with the lone loss coming in 2024 to Penn State in overtime. Carrying strong momentum into the offseason, Riley’s Trojans concluded the year at 9-3, a notable improvement from last season’s 6-6 finish. He maintained his team’s focus and avoided a letdown despite being eliminated from CFP contention just a week earlier. The game also marked the first time under Riley that USC defeated the Bruins at the Coliseum, capping an impressive night for the head coach.

King Miller

The true freshman running back has quickly established himself as one of the most important players for the USC program moving forward. Thrust into the starting lineup by a remarkable twist of fate, Miller stepped in for the injured Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders during the second half of this year’s Michigan game and never looked back. The dynamic playmaker further cemented his rising status by becoming a hero in the storied USC-UCLA rivalry, scoring two touchdowns and amassing 124 rushing yards along with 42 receiving yards, the second-highest total among all USC pass catchers that night.

Losers

Football Calendar

The lone downside to an otherwise thrilling evening is the football calendar and the impact of the NCAA’s disservice to the sport. There will be little time to celebrate a USC victory, as National Signing Day is less than two days away, and USC currently boasts a competitive recruiting class with the potential to finish ranked #1 nationally. While that achievement is exciting, the roster that took the field for 15 weeks is now disbanding.

The transfer portal will quickly come into play, requiring USC to act swiftly to retain players, recruit new talent, and address potential staff departures. All of this will occur while the coaching staff prepares the team for its upcoming bowl game, a critical milestone if the program’s goal is to secure ten wins. Achieving double-digit victories appears to be a priority. Though the regular season has concluded, the work is far from over. The 2025 Trojans were a joy to watch, but it is now time to bid farewell to that group and prepare for 2026.