Plaschke: At sagging USC, Lincoln Riley should be on the hottest of hot seats

As the fabled fight song heats up and the legendary gesture wags anew, let’s get one thing straight about what was once the Los Angeles sports landscape’s shining monument.

USC football has become a mirage.

Advertisement

The greatness is gone. The new tradition is mediocrity. The new heritage is irrelevance.

“Fight on” has become “Paddle on,” with each ensuing season an exasperating exercise in keeping that Trojan helmet afloat.

This is not opinion. This is not hyperbole. This is fact.

In the last 16 seasons USC has recorded double-digit victories five times.

During that same time span, Alabama has recorded double-digit victories 15 times.

Read more: Lincoln Riley ‘absolutely’ wants to keep USC-Notre Dame game on schedule

In the last 16 seasons, USC has had one major bowl victory.

During that same span, Ohio State has 10 major bowl victories.

Advertisement

Since the departure of Pete Carroll after the 2009 season, the Trojan football program has been rocked by NCAA punishment, roiled by a litany of ill-fitting coaches, betrayed by a string of embarrassing losses, and generally kneecapped by its own hubris.

This was once the greatest dynasty in college football history. I know, I was there, and rarely has one team energized and inspired this entire city like Uncle Pete’s champions.

But watching video from those days is like watching an alien football team on Mars. The current product, with all its failures and excuses, is almost completely unrecognizable.

In the past 16 years, the program has dissolved into the equivalent of a mediocre wannabe that no longer competes with the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, Georgia and Clemson.

Advertisement

USC has basically become the other USC — a South Carolina-type program filled with big aspirations but average results.

The Athletic recently ranked college football…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/plaschke-sagging-usc-lincoln-riley-110000192.html

Author :

Publish date : 2025-07-25 11:00:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.

Check Also

Nick Saban explains the key reason he he hasn’t jumped back into coaching

Nick Saban is adamant he won’t be coaching football again anytime soon. The legendary Alabama …

Exit mobile version