USC football, Lincoln Riley shocked the college football world

The allure of rebuilding  ablue blood was too great for Lincoln Riley to pass up

USC could have a higher ceiling than Oklahoma. The Trojans have one of the more fertile recruiting areas in the country. Lincoln Riley should know that he has the second-ranked recruit from the state, Raleek Brown, committed to Oklahoma in the 2022 class.

Riley also has the fourth and fifth-best recruits from the state (Makai Lemon and DeAndre Moore, Jr.) committed for 2023. The ceiling at USC is 10-plus wins and National Championship contention every season. As previously mentioned, when ‘SC is rolling, no school in the conference can touch them.

USC can influence the culture of Southern California, where all the kids want to play for the Trojans.

That standard is what used to be and what could be. However, that is not the current state of the program.

First, the roster is nowhere close to good enough to contend for a National Championship. There are some pieces, however. Jaxon Dart is a young, strong-armed quarterback who can make any throw Riley asks of him. Dart is a good athlete who can move around the pocket and run when needed.

President Carol Holt and Athletic Director Mike Bohn inherited an athletic program that was a fiscal mess riddled with mismanaged funds and was the target of two FBI investigations. The Trojans have been woefully behind in facilities as well.

The Trojans did complete a $315 million renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2019. Still, the McKay Center, which opened in 2012, needs upgrades, and the Trojans do not have a football-only facility as most of their competition has.

USC has only recently begun building its recruiting and marketing infrastructure for football. Suffice it to say; there is a lot behind the scenes the Trojans administration needs to address.

Riley’s hire clearly signals that many of the fiscal troubles are over (on was Clay Helton’s albatross of a contract), and the Trojans are committed to competing nationally in football. Details about what USC offered Riley to leave Oklahoma are going to be fascinating.