New “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle” (Tuesday, Nov. 21) edition: UCLA review, Lincoln Riley, Reggie and Caleb, Big Ten Lightning Round, and viewers’ Q&A, and Pac-12 predictions.

Pregame      

In Tuesday’s edition of Inside the Trojans Huddle, panelists Marc Kulkin, Erik McKinney, Chris Arledge, and Greg Katz review the USC/UCLA game, analyze the current state of Lincoln Riley, Reggie Bush and Caleb Williams jersey banners, a new Big Ten Lightning Round, viewers’ questions, and predictions on this weekend’s Pac-12 games.

First Quarter

In the first quarter of the Huddle, the panel gives their reactions and analysis of the Trojans’ 38-20 loss to UCLA last Saturday at the Coliseum. There seemed to be a consensus that the team was not ready to play. Kulkin, McKinney, Arledge, and Katz have their takes regarding the key to the game. The foursome also presented their own individual ideas about where this is all headed. It’s no-holds-barred, and one panelist questioned the transfers on the team as to whether they actually understood the importance and passion of the USC/UCLA crosstown rivalry.   

Second Quarter

In the second quarter of the Huddle, the panel goes deep where the USC program is today under Lincoln Riley, who still has a bowl game to play in December. Each panelist gives their take regarding L Riley’s optimism or “spin” to where the program is at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. In summation, the panel addresses the thought of Lincoln Riley on the USC hot seat in just his second season of a ten-year contract. What will it take not only to fix things but how long could it take? One panelist admitted that Riley has major credibility issues and questioned whether the coach can recover from this 2023 mess.   

Halftime

The panel is asked if they are surprised that neither Reggie Bush nor Caleb Williams, both Heisman Trophy winners, did not have their jersey numbers placed alongside other Heisman winners in the peristyle end of the Coliseum. In part of the discussion, it evolved into uniforms being retired even without being a Heisman Trophy winner and jerseys appearing on the peristyle end of the Coliseum.     

Third Quarter

In the third quarter, the panel gave their rapid responses in the Big Ten Lightning Round, a special edition for the USC/UCLA game. Some of the questions concerned Caleb Williams’s future, whether he will be invited to this season’s Heisman Awards ceremony in New York, and will he play in the upcoming USC bowl game.  In other rapid-fire answers, the panel gives their opinion when the new DC will be named, picking Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, the future status of UCLA head coach Chip Kelly, a quarterback transfer question, 2024 ticket prices, and should USC decline a bowl bid after a 7-5 regular season.

The Big Ten bonus question: Where does each panelist plan to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday?

Fourth Quarter

Following the lighting of the WeAreSC symbolic Coliseum torch between the third and fourth quarters of the Huddle, the panel leads off the fourth quarter by answering viewers’ questions.

Viewers’ questions addressed Lincoln Riley’s power on campus, the aftermath of the UCLA loss, the future in the Big Ten without Caleb Williams, offensive and defensive linemen, the DC announcement date, NIL and USC, and the Trojans’ passing attack.

Overtime

In the Overtime period, Katz, of course, lost his Zoom internet connection during this segment, and Arledge took over. You can guess what followed. Nonetheless, the panel makes their individual Pac-12 predictions for this weekend’s conference games that include Oregon State and Oregon on Friday night, and Saturday games Colorado at Utah, Arizona at ASU, Washington State at Washington, Cal at UCLA, and a non-conference game: Notre Dame at Stanford. In a bonus panel prediction, the panel gives their prediction on Ohio State at Michigan.

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USC Trojans videos from Los Angeles, California, from the staff of WeAreSC.