The biggest game of the weekend in Week 13 came as the Oregon Ducks hosted the USC Trojans in a Top 15 clash with massive stakes for the College Football Playoff. Dan Lanning's team jumped on USC at the end of the first half taking a 28-14 lead into the locker room, and the Trojans were never able to recover losing 42-27.
The loss dropped USC to 8-3 on the season which more likely than not will keep the USC Trojans out of the College Football Playoff. If the Trojans miss the Playoff, it'll mark the 4th straight season that Lincoln Riley misses the Playoff at USC.
Lincoln Riley blasts media member over "Dumbest question I've been asked"
With College GameDay making the trip to Eugene, the Oregon fans got to have all their fun with signs poking fun at USC and Oregon. One sign everyone saw on TV was an Oregon fan holding a sign asking the Trojans to extend Lincoln Riley making fun of his struggles.
After the game, a member of the media asked the USC Head Coach about the sign to which Lincoln Riley went off calling it "The dumbest question I've been asked as long as I've been a head coach".
Lincoln Riley goes after reporter who asks about Oregon fan’s “extend Lincoln Riley’s contract” GameDay sign.
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) November 23, 2025
“That might be the dumbest question I’ve been asked as long as I’ve been a head coach.”
USC is 3-10 vs. ranked teams since mid-2023, including 3 losses to Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/N2mO83Xbo9
Asking a coach just after a devastating loss about his future, and how he feels about the opposing fans poking fun at the job he's done is truly insane, and Lincoln Riley had every right to respond the way that he did.
While Riley's overall record against the best teams at USC isn't great, this game he had plenty of excuses. The Trojans were without two elite safeties in Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald along with their top two running backs.
Compared to where USC was when he took over, this program is on the rise, and the next few years under Lincoln Riley should be exciting. The Trojans currently hold the Nation's top recruiting class as Riley has made USC a destination for the Nation's best players once again. If not for how quickly he found success with Caleb Williams, Lincoln Riley would've been given more time to build a winner which makes it unfair to doubt he'll get back to the Playoff.