Hey, USC powers that be, repeat after me: Lincoln Riley has gotta go

Detailed summary

Did you see that, Jen Cohen? The USC athletics director’s flagship program once again couldn’t measure up against a top team in a tough environment. Were you watching, Beong-Soo Kim? Southern Cal…

The USC athletics director’s flagship program once again couldn’t measure up against a top team in a tough environment.

The Trojans president’s pride and joy once more resembled something he won’t want to bring up in Monday meetings.

The influential member of the USC board of trustees and mega donor still isn’t getting much return on his investment when it comes to Trojans football.

In Year 5, after the latest sorry setback of the Lincoln Riley era, it’s time for everyone in power at USC to repeat after me:

After No. 18 USC’s 27-13 setback against No. 9 Indiana saddled the Trojans with a third loss, they aren’t headed to the College Football Playoff. Not even close.

A best-case scenario for the troubled Trojans (7-3 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) might be the Alamo Bowl, even after all the hype, money, gleaming facilities and defensive coordinators lavished upon their underperforming coach.

“We’ve definitely come a long way as a program,” Riley told reporters afterward, “but we still obviously here got a little ways to go.”

He’s now 1-8 in road games against nationally ranked teams with the Trojans, making the matter of that roughly $70 million buyout — not counting his assistants and any buyout of an incoming staff — seem like a ransom worth paying.

Riley should immediately reimburse his bosses for the cost of all those billboards around Southern California proclaiming “The Time Is Now.”

Opening of the article, excerpted from New York Post. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.