Paul Finebaum addresses Lincoln Riley's future at USC after loss to Maryland

Paul Finebaum doesn’t see the Lincoln Riley–USC “marriage” ending well at this point. USC lost 29-28 in a stunner to Maryland Saturday and the Trojans dropped to 3-4.

With it being their first year in the Big Ten, this is certainly a wild look for USC. While crosstown rival UCLA is also struggling, Oregon is at the top of the conference and Washington is even 4-3 despite recent losses to Iowa and Rutgers.

Riley had a great debut with USC that fell just short of the College Football Playoff. Since then, it’s been a borderline disaster according to Finebaum.

“It’s a bad marriage,” Finebaum said on The Matt Barrie Show. “And I’ve been all over the map because I really felt in the offseason that this thing was not going to work out. They win a game or two, and you have to give them some credit, but the Big Ten is too big for (USC). This is why Lincoln Riley bailed out on Oklahoma to go to the Pac-12. This is not what this is not what he’s built for. And I really don’t know how he’s going to survive. 

“I mean, I know that he’s still got that incredible reputation, although he’s done a good job of blowing it. But, you know, four losses? I mean, this is at least going to be a five loss team, and when you look at what they have ahead, it could be worse. You know anybody that had Maryland (as a) loss? So, I mean, I don’t think he’s going to lose his job, but I don’t really think he’s going to be long for the world out there, though. I mean, it’s outside of that one good year with Caleb Williams, it’s been a bust.”

Lincoln Riley on the hot seat?

Riley and the Trojans went 11-3 in 2022, losing the Pac-12 title game to Utah and lost the Cotton Bowl to Tulane. Last year, the Trojans finished 8-5 with a Holiday Bowl victory, led by MIller Moss, and there was promise for 2024.

But after the season opening win over LSU, the SEC rep has won six in a row while Riley and USC have gone 2-4 since.

“This was the year they probably could have done well, because, you know, they missed one or two people on that schedule, as you well know,” Finebaum said. “I thought they got a very favorable … schedule. But it’s, you know, I don’t know where you go (if you are) Lincoln Riley. I’m sure he’s talking to his agent this morning, saying, ‘is there anywhere else we can go?’ I think it’s pretty evident where this is going to end, and it’s going to end at some point, with him getting run out of there.”