Through 22 games, Riley has the same record (17-5) as Clay Helton did. He was hired to be the next Pete Carroll. Worse, Riley is starting to make excuses.
After the loss, he felt the expectations had worn down his team. He suggested that the narrative about winning championships is media-driven, that USC doesn’t “come in every week talking about winning a national championship.” He must have forgotten telling reporters in July of 2022 that he and his staff didn’t leave Oklahoma “to play for second.” Players weren’t made available to reporters on Saturday, a shortsighted decision that does nobody any good.
Worst of all, USC is wasting a gem of a talent in Williams, who seems to be regressing of late, with just one touchdown and three interceptions the last two weeks. Even with that said, the defense has allowed 72 points in these two losses to Utah and Notre Dame. The offense isn’t the issue – it never has been for Riley.It may not get much better. USC still has to face the big two of Washington and Oregon.
This loss doesn’t necessarily eliminate the Nittany Lions, but it puts them in the precarious position of needing to beat undefeated Michigan on Nov. 11 in Happy Valley and hope the Wolverines then knock off Ohio State on Thanksgiving Day weekend. But it seems unlikely that Penn State can get by Michigan.
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