Lincoln Riley explains signing off on kick time for Colorado game

Lincoln Riley dished out some knowledge as to why USC agreed to an early morning kickoff against Colorado next weekend.

Many were surprised when FOX revealed the showdown between Riley’s Trojans and Deion Sanders‘ Buffaloes would take place at Noon ET in Week 5. While Riley revealed USC certainly hesitated, they eventually came to the conclusion that it would be best for their team.

“We thought about it. We definitely had a little bit of conversation back and fourth,” Riley elaborated. “You know in an ideal world, it probably wouldn’t have hit right after the late away game. That was honestly to me really the only potential drawback of it. We were able to put out kind of a mock schedule, and have a minute to scratch through it on our end and what that would look like, because when you play that early it moves some things up in the week. I think the big thing for us was coming off of a bye week, didn’t feel like it was going to be that much of a big deal. Our guys are going to be pretty rested. I think we might’ve felt maybe a little different if we were like, in the middle of like a six or seven game stretch. But yeah, you play that one a little bit earlier, but then you get home at a good time. Good chance for the guys to rest and recover with the stretch coming up ahead of that game.

“So in the end, I know that’s a good window, from a TV standpoint. So in the end, we really didn’t have anything to complain about with it, and we’re good to go.

Alas, there’ll be no complaining from college football fans across America. Having USC and Colorado as the main afternoon game on Week 5 is going to be an awesome thing.

Time will tell how much hype there is behind the game, as USC and Colorado have to get through Week 4 first. If they can both leave with victories, we may be looking at the most hyped game of the entire season in Boulder.

Lincoln Riley, USC eager to get back on the field after bye week

Meanwhile, USC was playing really well through the first three games of the season, before getting a bye last week. That’s likely why the Trojans are so anxious to get back on the field this weekend.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley joined Trojans Live on Monday and shared where he feels like his program is coming out of the bye.

“It was a good week,” Riley said. “I thought the guys did a good job with their approach. Bye weeks can go a few different ways, and then it comes down to, I think, the team’s approach during that time. Are you out there to get work done or are you just punching the clock and excited about having a few days off on the weekend and all of that? I thought our guys handled it well.”

USC is 3-0 entering Saturday’s matchup at Arizona State. The Trojans have scored at least 56 points in all three of their games, and the closest matchup was a 28-point win. Riley and USC are favored by 35.5 points entering Saturday’s game with the Sun Devils, and Riley expects his team to continue to play well.

On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this article.