Josh Pate On USC & Lincoln Riley Having Issues To Face (Late Kick Cut)

USC Football is entering year 3 under Lincoln Riley, and after taking a step back last season the Trojans made several staff moves on defense. On Late Kick Live Ep 528 Josh Pate took a look at the on-field potential this season along with recruiting struggles as of late and the lack of backing Lincoln Riley seems to have gotten in his time at USC. Let us know what you think in the comments below and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the channel and CLICK THE BELL for notifications as we bring you multiple live shows per week!
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[@LateKickwithJoshPate]

Keep the show free - SUBSCRIBE to the channel and LIKE the video! - JP

[@GoatedAtNFS]

are there issues? yeah having a heisman QB while your defense is just as statistically bad as Colorado last year is an ISSUE LOL

[@Adam-us5dv]

USC was the 4th best team in a conference that only had two good teams last year. That conference no longer exists, so USC has to play a much tougher schedule this year. The issue is that they and the media are going to have to face the reality and admit USC stopped being good when they got caught paying Reggie Bush.

[@darellspann6628]

Lol welcome to Lincoln Riley football.... signed Oklahoma

[@RandomNumber6598]

Riley is a good QB coach and OC. Head coach and running a program? Not his strong suit

[@lawrencematthes8948]

The second coming of Ryan Day. 😊. This coming from a Buckeye. Just keeping it real 💯

[@ryanbivens9409]

Now you just sound stupid

[@mitchconner2021]

I think he'll go be a OC in the NFL after this season. Maybe the bears?

[@doc8013]

​@@lawrencematthes8948what? Day has consistently won year over year, just not a championship. Riley hasn't proven to be able to do that at all yet. They aren't comparable.

[@lawrencematthes8948]

@@doc8013 I see it a little differently.. Day came into a better situation and has evolved a little quicker. But the parallels are obvious. Both fashion themselves as offense guru's and QB whisperers that struggled defensively. Day has an impatient and well financed backing, which made it easier to purchase a defense. Both also have struggled winning big and or rival games

[@xMakeyourself28x]

Seems like the perfect potential rebuild for College Football 25 to me, sorry Riley 😂

[@ihpron]

They’re pretty dope in cfb 25 just saying 😉

[@mark_a_vigil]

Wait, Josh can you side by side those recruiting rankings against Oklahoma's. Id like to see how recruiting to lil ol Norman is working out compared to recruiting to the Mecca of college football.

[@billquantrill4960]

Pretty sure he won't. Lol.

[@Giddygooncave]

THE MECCA. lmaoooooooooo

[@darellspann6628]

🤣🤣🤣🤣boy u don't want that! 2022 USC 70th Oklahoma 8th..2023 Oklahoma 5th USC 8th. 2024 Oklahoma 8th USC 17th.. anymore questions genius? Looks like little old Oklahoma has been whooping Lincoln Riley's ass ever since he left

[@jwsstudios4697]

56-19 2004-5 bud.

[@mmmmcolbert8787]

@@jwsstudios4697 its 2024

[@codymoring543]

Yes it's fair to criticize the guy!! There's a reason OU wouldn't back him like they back BV and now USC won't either. He doesn't instill confidence in these boosters. He's the type of guy who will complain that something isn't happening for him instead of making it happen!

[@tommyjones774]

Dude you not in California you don’t know shit😂😂

[@codymoring543]

@@tommyjones774 I'm happy I'm not in that shit hole, but that's what was said around OU. Riley even acknowledged that in an interview. And now NIL is struggling at USC. There's a pattern to his career, that's why national media is slowly starting to turn

[@northwestprof60]

You are wrong here, and speaking out of ignorance. Think of it this way: you are in a helicopter and see a long train of traffic enter a tunnel....but NO cars are coming out! The answer to why no cars are coming out is NOT that no cars are getting in, it's that something is happening to the cars while they are INSIDE the tunnel. And the university president controls the tunnel.

[@littlesame]

@@tommyjones774he’s poorly informed, CA is the 5th largest economy in the world and tax money that stipends OK programs

[@thomasmalloryevans2932]

Yeah, the same “issue” that EVERY Lincoln Riley team has - their so-called “defense” can’t stop a good high school team

[@Im_Old_Gregg]

Remember when Lincoln said you couldnt recruit a good roster to Norman Oklahoma? That didnt age well huh?

[@darellspann6628]

At all

[@tkjaer21]

It is absolutely fair to criticize Lincoln Riley. He is the head coach. He showed his flaws at OU and brought them to USC. USC was supposed to be "OU West" as I recall in terms of what the media was saying. It is far from that. He could not recruit well in his own words at OU and it is funny as OU is landing high calibre recruits even in his own backyard now at USC. against his team. Before he left, he gutted and recruited for USC while at OU. He set back a top tier program 3-4 years when he left OU. I believe that most are not upset that he left, it is the way he did it and OU Sooner fans will never forgive him. The truth is, his ability was declining after Kyler Murray left. Lincoln relies on extraordinary talent to bail his coaching flaws out like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams. Jalen learned how to pass in the NFL and not by Lincoln as he would just have him run and throw short passes. Even the most subpar teams in the Big 12 knew what he was calling against them and OU had dogfights against those teams. Only the talent alone won those games when they should have been blowouts. USC is in trouble this year as they do not have a once in a decade type player on his roster and will fail even worse than the year he had with Spencer Rattler and USC fans will be livid. Instead of coaching and developing Spencer Rattler, he humiliated and benched him. That is just my take.

[@ganstanick353]

This is the perfect take, noticed how in 2018, 2019, and so on people caught onto his run game and started blowing up his counter pull strategy and now look at him at USC, he’s been figured out for awhile now.

[@mitchconner2021]

This is like the 3rd time I've seen this comment lol copy paste is fun huh

[@delectableprovisions]

Meh, his deficiency isn't on offense it's defense his lack of aggression to recruiting on that side of the ball. His loyalty to sub par coaching on the defensive side.

[@shameless1047]

Funny how your boy Venables isn’t winning as many games at OU as Riley did. so there’s that

[@shameless1047]

@@delectableprovisions he is at USC. He’s been very aggressively recruiting defensive players. It’s just the NL at USC right now is shit compared to other programs.

[@darrellervin1717]

Im just glad usc had enough money to fix the issues in Norman🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@treywilliams2295]

As a Bama fan, this is funny

[@darellspann6628]

Ain't it!

[@StraightSh00t3r]

I’m an Oklahoma fan and thank god they had the money to make him move out west. TLBOW doesn’t believe in a S &C coach. At Norman he had a yoga based S & C coach. We saw how that worked out and it is now USC’s problem. Y’all have fun this year, ya hear.

[@Mrgreens421]

Tbow should not be a head coach... OU had players to make him look good because of Bob Stoops... he left when the players he was recruiting started playing and filling the roster more.

[@rodgerbane3825]

Riley is a sleazebag and his approach to the game is excessively finesse. When he left OU he wasn't even going to say goodby to the team but he was in essence forced to do so.

[@toddcagle4245]

He should be recruiting the state of California better than he is too

[@theASHnetwork1]

He couldn't land the top Oklahoma recruits either when he was at OU. It was stated that he doesn't like having parents that close to him so he doesn't like recruiting in state.

[@Zrich98]

Knight’s Money is destroying USC and I don’t see usc competing well vs Oregon for years to come with all that Nike money

[@Osei_Bean_8ryant]

USC is ran by an offensive coordinator who "dominated" a mediocre big 12... then ran away when it was time to step up the competition. That should tell usc fans all they need to know

[@jwsstudios4697]

As a USC fan, we haven't won shit in 19 years. Only 3 bowl game wins in 15 years. NCAA screwed us over and it destroyed our program. since SC only knows how to disappoint their fans, I'm expecting the worst. Probably gonna go 1-11

[@quackattackig]

By reading most of these comments you can clearly see how most people comment without even watching the video 😅

[@prestonjennings6277]

Or they do and don’t care what Josh is saying and realizing that actual good coaches can transcend disfunction and can actually bring stability

[@quackattackig]

@@prestonjennings6277 how is he supposed to transcend the instability if everything at the higher levels is messed up 😭. Y'all got no clue on how a college football program works lol

[@halfbreed7208]

Facts LOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@halfbreed7208]

@@prestonjennings6277 NAY ‼️👀👀👀 .. I 💯 don’t think 🤔 💭 they even watch 👀👀 the video they just comment ‼️🤣🤣 you can read their comments 👀and tell I Digress carry-on and Fight On 🗡️✌🏽💪🏽😁

[@prestonjennings6277]

Nah Josh a large portion of that dysfunction is on Lincoln. A football coach can serve as a pillar and a gatherer of talent and stability. Riley is incapable of truly building a program and brings stability. He has been coasting off of prior stability and will continue to fail to meet expectations. Next years he isn’t winning more than 8 games. And over the next several years he isn’t winning over 9 because that’s just the coach he is.

[@tarheeledsooner3920]

Should have just compared USC to OU right now instead of Texas. OU is doing the same in recruiting as all the other big players, and it would have been hilarious to see USC twitter fall apart again.

[@michaelzinn1169]

L.A just isn't cool like it used to be. People don't want to flock to Southern California like they once did.

[@Zero2Black6]

Yup, the early 2000s was the last best decade for Southern California and not just for USC but the entire region.

[@michaelzinn1169]

@@Zero2Black6 Yeah there's still a lot of good recruits in California but most of them are leaving the state.

[@voiceofreason2674]

Miami has got the same problem. Campus surrounded for miles by a dystopian megapolis. ARGUABLY Texas has that problem too, but can't argue with the results they get

[@Zero2Black6]

@@voiceofreason2674Texas is a bit different when it comes to the big cities. They still have a lot of space and I mean a lot of space and the state has so far kept up with the housing damned by building like crazy so it’s kept home prices relatively low compared to other areas like Miami or LA. On top of that the economy of Texas is exploding and showing no signs of slowing, combine that with all the new tax base moving there and plenty of room to expand Texas is in the midst of a renaissance so keeping talent in a cool city like Austin or even college station now isn’t as hard as it used to be. Other smaller states are going to experience this as well. I moved up to Utah two years ago and it’s happening up here too and the Utah football program is reflecting that. They have owned USC on the football field for 4 years straight now. One year back-to-back.

[@michaelzinn1169]

@@voiceofreason2674 Yeah but people in general are still flocking to Austin and Miami. They're fleeing L.A

[@HawgWyldFishing]

Of all the coaches who needed to spend a few years working under Nick Saban, to get their careers turned around and going in the right direction, before he retired. Lincoln Riley is the one who needed it most I think. He’s a good talent evaluator and recruiter for QBs, and sometimes he’s a good OC. But he needed a better teacher to show him how to be a head coach. He just never got fired and had to rebuild himself like the rest of the guys in his shoes did. Sark, Kiffin, Locksley, all are in immeasurably better situations today because of their time in title town. That’s what Riley needed before being hired at USC. Now he’s gonna have to hope someone else can be that for him, because the odds of him finally figuring out how to coach a competent defense all of a sudden are very, very low.

[@shameless1047]

Umm he’s the best oc in the country. He made really poor hires on the defensive side of the ball, but he just assembled arguably one of the best in the country so we’ll see what his defense look like this year.

[@darellspann6628]

Really tell me which quarterbacks he recruited.... Because it wasn't Baker Mayfield it wasn't Kyler murray, it wasn't Jalen hurts, and guess what it wasn't Caleb Williams you know who he recruited? Spencer rattler and he benched him. This guy's a fraud and a phony and he's been in the right place at the right time every time and now it's going to catch up to him

[@darellspann6628]

​@@shameless1047he's not the best offensive coordinator in the country you guys are smoking some good shit out there

[@josefweese6979]

Irs entirely possible USC starts out the season 2-4. Rikey got worse every year he was at OU, he only did good with Bob's guys. And Bob left a lot more ponies in the barn then whatever was going on at USC before tbow got there

[@Legal_Savant]

Honestly, looking at USC's schedule, I believe their ceiling this year is 9 wins.

[@alostcause4035]

Yeah, thats the ceiling. I think they'll only win 7

[@prman9984]

You misspelled floor. Easiest Big 10 schedule. Who do they lose to? LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame. And then...?

[@Legal_Savant]

@@prman9984 Games they could lose: LSU, Michigan, (IF* Wisconsin upsets Alabama, they will also beat USC), Penn State, Rutgers, Notre Dame. USC's floor is in no way 9 wins 🤣

[@Al-Rudigor]

​@@prman9984Penn State will beat them, and Rutgers might also.

[@erikwill2891]

Riley is an OC playing a HC. He needs to do what chip Kelly just did. Leave the HC job and go Call and offense.

[@Muzikskavenger]

He is a bad head coach. He ran to USC so he could play in the bad PAC12 and avoid more competition. His teams always get worse every year once the previous staffs players are gone.

[@jwsstudios4697]

Bad pac 12? Washington went to the National championship. We had the most ranked teams last year for most of the season. Not an easy conference, we were the second best overall conference last year.

[@Im_Old_Gregg]

Lincoln Riley is a really good offensive coordinator. Thats all that can be said about him.

[@Jerahzz]

The guy has the exact same problem he had at Oklahoma….It is 100% his fault. Lincoln Riley and defense go together about as good as Lizzo and Diet do. It’s not hard to understand.

[@shameless1047]

Yeah, well he just put together arguably one of the best staffs in the country so he never had a staff like that at Oklahoma

[@Jerahzz]

@@shameless1047 Does the staff play the game?? He’s a fantastic OC and QB whisperer. But he can’t recruit defensively..Therefore his defense is statistically bad. At OU, if he a top 60 defense, he would’ve probably won 2 national championships.

[@JB-dy9bl]

"Look at what Texas is doing..''?? What? Missing out on recruit after recruit? Tf are you babbling about?

[@cellamuert]

Zero 5* for next season. You're not wrong

[@Al-Rudigor]

😂😂😂😂😂 are you a UT fan?

[@brentm4318]

I dont have twitter so throwing this question in here. I occasionally read USC message boards and articles from supporters of the team. I occasionally read articles from other teams across the country. Ohio State, Texas, OU, Alabama, Georgia for example. When I read USC's articles there is almost always a different tone to the articles. Not sure if you've noticed it as well. Very defensive but also borderline pompous. Maybe there is a deep down hatred of USC making me see this but I just thought I'd put it here and see if someone else had a thought. When I read their articles it just annoys me.

[@Adam-us5dv]

The issue with USC is that media never realized that Pete Carol moved on a very long time ago. They have not been worthy of a top 10 ranking in 15 years, yet here’s another season where everyone is trying to talk up USC. Their weak schedule is gone now. 10 win seasons are not going to happen on an average year. USC was bad before Carol, also. They and Notre Dame have propped each other up with their otherwise weak schedules for 40 years.

[@shameless1047]

They be Penn State in the Rose Bowl and Clay. Helen was the coach so I don’t completely agree with that. Also Riley’s first year they were a top 10 team.

[@scotthillen3617]

Usc does not play a soft schedule, they have never scheduled an FCS school. They played texas a few years ago they played alabama a few years before that. They always schedule well. They play lsu this year… so i dont get that they schedule soft…

[@fischook1238]

USC needs to put someone in there running the NIL that actually knows what they are doing. Both Carol Folt and Jen Cohen need to get involved and correct things. USC really needs to get their act together. Every other school out there is doing a better job right now. There is no excuse for this happening at a school like USC. This needs to be fixed now. Immediately.

[@tepatrilee3009]

USC has only signed 5x 5 star recruits since 2020. Three of the five have transferred and the remaining two had ~600 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns, combined, in 2023. Riley's not recruiting well, he's not retaining the ones he gets, and he's not developing the ones that do stay.

[@lawrencematthes8948]

I'm looking at the usc schedule. I'll take the under. 6-6 sounds about right. In fact, I'd wager 5-7 before 7-5. That defense will get ran over this year. And without Williams, their chances of winning shootouts won't be easy. Especially early in the season. Might be a bowless season

[@MasizoUrek]

Pate looks happy for USC’s struggles in recruiting.

[@jcsoxx]

Timing is everything. Now that SC is in the Big10 Coach Lincoln Riley is bringing in a great defense to go with his always great offense. I can see USC waltz into the playoffs this year.

[@user-gn5zz8ml6x]

When you do not fire your DC in a timely manner the recruits take notice and so does everyone else?

[@tyronpouncey5985]

He’s over rated he about to get expose in the big 10. 6-8 win szns loading

[@GLJ2414]

Riley is a good not great coach and USCs program is a joke right now. Big change is needed

[@dariusp257]

According to an interview Coach Henny from USC recently had, USC has all the resources and NIL but kids are choosing other schools because of better on field performance, money and development. Kids just don't trust yet that SC is back and that they will make it back anytime soon. They are not buying the development part of SC therefore they are going to Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, etc.

[@Tijuanabill]

Yeah and according to all actual media, the checks are bouncing and players aren't getting what they were promised. But TBF, your point about kids is true: There are many factors, and NIL is just one of them. A lot of kids turn down slightly better NIL, if they like the coaches, the situation, or the location better.

[@shameless1047]

Yeah, and look how many players Oregon has put in the NFL 😂

[@dariusp257]

@@shameless1047 Actually go count them. Currently there are 42 Oregon players on NFL rosters. USC has 37. Since you didn't know, now you do. Plus, the best QB of all time for his first two years in the NFL is Justin Herbert. No one has put up his numbers.

[@oomagooma1107]

When you look at Apples to Apples coaching records between Riley, Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Bear Bryant, Barry Switzer, Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, and Chuck Noll ALL AT AGE 40, the biggest HC achievers were Switzer (Conference champion 10-2), and Noll (Pittsburgh Steelers 11-3). The rest were either coaching assistants or HC with less than .500 records. Lombardi, Saban, Bryant were still coaching assistants at age 40. Riley still has time to develop as a HC...

[@brandonmcbroom9209]

Nike giving Oregon unlimited NIL whatever they want they will receive. That’s going to suck for everyone else

[@Al-Rudigor]

Thank goodness that they're in Oregon. Imagine if they were east of the Mississippi.

[@5.0king32]

So we’re blaming usc not Lincoln?

[@icu17siberia]

I think USC's NIL game is killing them based on what Ive heard from a small number of parents

[@jwsstudios4697]

​@@icu17siberiaI don't know what though, they are one of the richest schools in cfb

[@SteveKilgore27]

I’m tired of all these segments this mid tier team called USC… at this point cover someone like Indiana. They’re gonna have the same record as USC at the end of the year, but at least the segments will be more interesting.

[@billnyedoesminecraftjoseph8379]

Me when im delusional

[@SteveKilgore27]

@@billnyedoesminecraftjoseph8379 you’re a usc fan, you’re always delusional

[@GoatedAtNFS]

@@billnyedoesminecraftjoseph83797-5 last year 7-5 this year book

[@Crankinstien]

He takes credit for Baker, Murray and Caleb. Baker and Murray transfered in. He didn’t recruit Caleb. His QB he recruited was Rattler and he kicked him to the curb. He’s so overrated

[@JDinero7023]

Sure whatever makes u feel better

[@Tijuanabill]

What is the basis for your logic that he didn't recruit Caleb? What are you talking about???

[@freddrickvonwolfgang6044]

As an OU fan he was the reason them three won a heisman. Don't matter how they got to OU he helped build them to what they became. You can not like the snake but just denying the obvious do you no favour

[@PHXNKVHXLIC]

@@freddrickvonwolfgang6044Lincoln threw the passes?

[@darellspann6628]

Facts!! Thank u brotha... They don't want to hear you though. The only one he recruited was Spencer rattler and he benched him

[@calicaneb2506]

Jen Cohen is great, she will get things going in the right direction, if given time.

[@TonyB-rv9qd]

I feel Great about the rise of SC and the schedule they face. Lincoln Riley and the Trojans '24 Winning season will bolster up top Recruits. Future at Southern California Trojans is bright 😎. Putting these student athletes in the Pros will do it. Fight -On ✌️⚔️✌️

[@drerobinson7254]

If NIL was actually NIL and not Pay for Play as it is now, USC would be the NIL giant. Besides Quinn Ewers at Texas, I haven’t seen any college athletes in commercials. CW and Jordan Addison were in American Airline commercials in 2022.

[@jackshaftoe1715]

GOD of MOSES Josh ! ISSUES ? Only since Pete Carroll left !🦆

[@DedHedRy]

I don’t think people realize in regards to recruiting that the ranking they have had with their class has been top heavy with 5* QB’s and skill guys. There has been a huge gap from the top of the roster to the bottom from a talent standpoint. He didn’t recruit great overall at Oklahoma, especially on the defensive side and he is doing the same thing now. What Texas is doing? Josh have you not seen where UT stands right now? OU is kicking their ass on the recruiting trail. OU is what, 5th on 247? So tired of hearing how Texas has things rolling. They have lost out on some big time guys over the last two weeks. Will they finish outside of the top 10 like they are now? Probably not but can we please quit sucking on UT so hard? Please? UT on rivals is 33rd, 22 on 247 and 14 on On3, while OU is 5th, 8th and 8th on Rivals but…….BV and Oklahoma sure isn’t getting credit or being talked about killing it on the recruiting trail but we are building up a Texas as though they are killing it when they aren’t even in the top 30 per Rivals? This UT hype, every off season, is so unbearable. Why do we continue to lump UT in with the Bamas and GA’s? It makes zero sense to me. One good year, sarks first double digit win season and a miserable last 12 years in the Big 12, and Oklahoma team who has dominated the matchup over the last 30-50 years ( the majority of Texas wins against OU and why they lead the series is what their record against OU was prior to 1950 not what they have done in the last 50 years ) OU has an 11-4 record over UT in the last 15 but somehow OU is an afterthought while apparently the most overblown program in all of college football has all of the sudden figured it out? Such a strange narrative to continue to push day after day when all we have seen is UT underperforming over the last qtr century and beyond. So ready for the season so we can get off the UT bandwagon. Why are people doubting OU to continue being the powerhouse while UT is getting all of this unwarranted benefit of the doubt? OU has one bad season in 25 years, which was still better than Sarks first year, had a better record than Sark in BV’s second year but OU isn’t on the level of UT while they have split the series over the last 2 years and OU dominating Texas for the last 15-20 years. 11-4! 14 big 12 championships to UT’s underwhelming 4. OU has been an elite program from the beginning of time and yet OU is the program that won’t be successful in the SEC while UT experiences more success? It’s just not even a logical argument at this point in time. In what world do you forecast a program based on one year and ignoring the last 15 while also ignoring their putrid record in Sarks first year while venables gets nailed for his? Again, such an old and ignorant stance and you would think people would be a lot smarter than they are acting. I guess all it takes these days is one great season to chance the narrative of what your program has been for the last 15 years and all if takes is one bad season, all be it two years ago and after a coach up and left with a weak roster, has people ignoring the last 15 years and the last 100 years of consistent success by OU. DFW is the most fertile recruiting ground in Texas along with the Houston area. People do t realize how much closer the DFW area is geographically to Oklahoma’s campus than it is Texas. So any pundit who think Oklahoma can’t recruit at a high clip successfully and sustainably are just idiots and again do t know what they are even talking about. So again, if we are going to talk about Texas football can we at least have discussions based on facts and not wishes?

[@Al-Rudigor]

Wow man, I love your passion for your team. I don't have a dog in the fight. However, I think it's the whole "Texas is back" thing. Truth be told, Sark hasn't really won anything yet. He kinda caved under pressure at Washington. Imagine what will happen if he flops this year after all of the hype. I'm not hoping he fails though. Good luck this year. Go Bucks!

[@Tijuanabill]

Bruh. That is a text wall. Be more concise, and break it up in to paragraphs, or nobody will ever read it. Not hating, I agree with a lot of it. But you will get more folks to read it, if you do these things.

[@darellspann6628]

Well said and spot on

[@darellspann6628]

​@@TijuanabillI read everybit of it and it's on the money

[@user-hq4cr2uw3i]

I was lucky enough to be able to ply this great sport for 13 years. Knee and shoulder injuries brought me down. I fully understand that it is the player's responsibility to get themself physically and mentally prepared for the game. I always appreciated a solid inspired motivational pre-game and halftime speech by the head coach. Not critical but always appreciated. I just can't imagine Coach Riley delivering an effective pre-game or halftime motivational speech. Just can't. Maybe it happens, but,,,,

[@billybilly3777]

Only played through HS as a corner. The head coach was cool and always said the right things in the right way. That was important because the defensive coach couldn't take it that a baseball player beat out his track prospects for the position. The HC wouldn't let him take me out. I loved HS football.

[@alkers372]

Good take Josh.

[@bigsimp1736]

TBOW Riley got paid to be elite. In two seasons he hasn't come close to earning his paychecks. Venables makes half of what TBOW got and he has OU in better shape going into year 3.

[@shameless1047]

Guy, he took a 4-8 clay Helton team and won 11 games his first year

[@shameless1047]

Bv teams so far have not looked good what so ever, and now he’s about to get his shit rocked in the sec

[@ljhookem14]

Looking at week-1 but how in the world did ESPN think the best week-1 game was aTm-ND? There’s at least 3 better games than that one including USC-LSU. The other 2 better games week-1: Clemson-UGA & Miami-FL.

[@MichaelBarbush-bk7ek]

When ND plays the whole world is watching that's why that's game on ESPN ratings i😅their interest not best matchups

[@dimasavila9158]

05 Trojans d line o line all Cali kids SMH he needs to hit MD SJB LBP Centennial

[@ikristian13d20]

This is the best take you had on USC and those who truly follow USC know what you mean….Emer…what can’t say that. Riley can only do so much without the support of the higher ups.

[@northwestprof60]

What you are struggling to say is this: is Carol Folt putting the brakes on NIL deals for HS recruits?? Period. Cohen will do what Folt allows, so the answer is not some group of "20-30 folks" who might open the purse strings, it is whether or not Folt is willing to be as generous with the HS players as she was with Riley and his staff? And, I am betting the answer is no.

[@iLLmaticTrojan]

I think usc will be improved on defense but ends up with only 6-7 wins. Following this, Coach Riley gets frustrated with NIL and resigns for the NFL or another well funded NIL program. The rest of the staffs falls apart as well. Sad to say this as an SC alum but it’s the truth.

[@daltonmoore7889]

Issues isn’t even what it should be called that snakes on a downward spiral and I’m here to watch

[@oumaniac]

How much did lincoln riley pay you lol

[@barryfisher4734]

I think II'll have a better idea of how I feel about the team this December, this December. So just fill in the vacuum with any speculation you can concur up to get clicks Mr.Pate.

[@dannysalazar7463]

If he doesnt improve, he WILL be fired by the end of the year..

[@ricanstyle1]

Recruiting takes money. USC NIL is underwhelming. They do a excellent job recruiting, bringi g kids in and have an interest. The problem is bidding for talent! USC can not offer a competitive NIL to these top notch recruits. Do not blame performance on the field Auburn, Florida, A&M, ND, Tennessee all have not done much on the field, but are recruiting well!

[@chrisnipper8573]

Riley "I'm not going to LSU!" Is ironically going to LSU for a beat down 😅

[@ryanwhite6479]

Fight On ✌️

[@johnavalos4097]

Pate in essence is right. Riley is just a symptom of a bigger problem. The BOT for decades has not been fully invested in making SC Football a consistent NC caliber football program when it is so easy in SoCal. Ever since Robinsons first go around it has been rocky times. They got lucky with Pete and did not sustain it after he left. Even with sanctions they acted like scared little kids and not grown ups. It’s a damn shame to. If you consider their history and what they have accomplished, I feel they are top 3 program all time.

[@bamerloko23]

Sc has a tough schedule this year. Recruiting is a hit in the miss. But the narrative that the media is trying to generate is ridiculous. First year in the Big Ten, maybe we get eight wins.

[@dylandean5043]

BOTH players and boosters are waiting to see results this season before committing. How they play is all that matters. Same goes for all CFB teams tho- doesnt matter how u are doing in recruiting rn if u dont win ur games this season. Recruiting rankings before the season starts are so dumb

[@Tijuanabill]

Why is it dumb to rank things as they happen? What purpose would there be, to everyone pretending like they don't know who the good players are, only to reveal them at a later date? Are you under the impression that recruit rankings are based on the team success of their HS squad???

[@dylandean5043]

@@Tijuanabill u missed my point. If usc balls out and gets 10 wins+ defense improves garantee u they will recruit a top 10 class+ players will flip and recommit. My point was its too early to be freaking out and sounding alarms on 2025 recruiting. 2025 recruiting will be almost entirely dependent on this seasons performance

[@Tijuanabill]

@@dylandean5043 Uh no. That is not true. Recruiting for 2025 is almost over, not just getting started. These players started this decision process two years ago. Sure, winning solves a lot of recruiting problems, but winning this year won't save this year's class. The idea that it even could, is rooted in no offense, deep ignorance of how the process works. The recruiting staff at most colleges, has already moved on to next year, in their main focus.

[@Legal_Savant]

When Pete Carroll got canned, USC should've thrown a boatload to him to have a role similar to Nick Saban's current role. They haven't been contenders since he left, he knows what it takes to win there and he could provide some insight.

[@Tijuanabill]

You think a guy they fired wants to stick around and help out, after he got fired? How high are you right now? It's a lot, right? You are like super high AF?

[@chadchadderton]

the nick saban pete carroll situations are COMPLETELTY different lmao...

[@Legal_Savant]

@@chadchadderton NO SHIT!!!

[@billquantrill4960]

You mean like how to keep cheating?

[@Legal_Savant]

@@billquantrill4960 I guess you live under a rock. There's no cheating in CFB. Ask Tennessee that just got caught and has the defunked NCAA in federal court. Nice attempt.

[@misterb1080]

Pete Carroll USC was the NIL. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[@marclefebvre7071]

Nothing Riley has done in the off-season has convinced doubters that this is going to be a strong season for the Trojans. He should have killed it in the transfer portal but his grade was " OK". Again you look at the bleed on defense last year and for a college, not pro , coach at the highest level of college football the fact that he could not himself stop the defensive bleed at any level was shocking and he let Kyle Whittingham embarrass him. Riley isn't a dynamic spokesman and has done nothing to promote the brand, and he has lost a ton of California recruits an indictment of what many high school players and their parents feel about Trojan football currently. Riley needs to have a great season at USC. He better hope too that Williams has a great season as an? rookie QB or, Riley might not have a lot of exit opportunities if things go south at USC.

[@troyster28]

To be fair I think USC is one of the hardest coaching jobs in the country, Lincoln Riley not only has to turn the football program around he has to turn around the school's culture. USC's football culture is awful compared to other top tier programs, majority of the students there do not care about sports and their fan's do not show up for gamedays, even when Caleb Williams was there. Another factor hurting the school is that it is located in a massive city, Los Angeles, making traveling a pain for out of state recruits, and USC is not exactly in the nice part of Los Angeles. These factors are often taken for granted but are extremely important when it comes to recruiting. Also like Josh said USC was probably was not expecting other programs to be competitive with them when it comes to NIL. IMO these factors will keep USC average for years to come.

[@billquantrill4960]

USC is in no way an "elite program."

[@HammerHed13]

USC is less than 10 miles from LAX and Interstate 10, almost runs through the campus. Getting to USC for out of state recruits, is easy, not a pain..lol

[@troyster28]

@@HammerHed13 LAX is a horrible airport and when is there not traffic on I 10

[@PSU2024]

They mis-manage there NIL. They have the money but Dave Emerick their NIL boss has really screwed things up.

[@terryerdos1713]

Go Irish ☘️ you love to see it

[@MichaelWesten5]

Everytime I see a USC segment I click on it 🤣

[@littlesame]

OU top ranked recruit and where did they end up last two seasons with defensive “guru” - nowhere and now SEC will send them to crocodile

[@greenwave819]

USC is better than Vandy and not as good as KY

[@whitebeardInn]

"The grass is always greener...". He should have stayed where he was.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

Ironically, Riley is what Kiffin was 10 years ago BUT with a "filter".....I don't think that's a good thing...sometimes a coach needs to hold up a mirror even if the reflection is painful. If the powers that be can't handle criticism from the guy they hired, it's not a program that can be dominant over time, year-in-year out.

[@jaybone2]

i see atleast 6 losses lmao LSU Michigan Wisc UCLA Nebraska Notre Dame

[@seanb.4712]

Riley can't only not recruit the state of Oklahoma. He cant recruit the state of California either.

[@7camscdan249]

The field of play is a lot tougher. Props to all the universities who are moving up.I’m just going to enjoy the season no matter what happens. Remember there’s only going to be one champion. Just like the NFL. Nobody gives a rats about winning senseless bowl games. These sports analysts guys just loves to start trouble on teams they usually can’t stand. But they won’t give their champion pick right now because they can’t. SC went 8-5 last yr, they’re not going to the dance face it. How long did it take harbaugh to finally win a title? Josh should talk about that team who he thinks will be the next champion.its just so convenient to talk down on programs with 8-5 or worse seasons. Pathetic! SINCERELY, THE KIDS WILL PLAY FOR THE HIGHEST BIDDER PERIOD! AND YOU CANT BLAME THEM FOR THAT!!

[@jameskirkland1899]

That Minnesota game is a trap game thats a lot of travel in 3 weeks with Penn St coming up the next week

[@billquantrill4960]

TBOW and the Colorado Neon Grifters are on the same trajectory and I'm here for it. Lol.

[@josephdiaz9640]

juju is trolling you guys...making you think he's going to flip😂

[@johnnyvelasco2168]

Every comment is about Riley and defense or Riley and OU. This video is about NIL and above Riley. lol totally not correlated.

[@RaymondPexton]

Reiley split went to pac 12 to dodge SEC and got sucked into big 10, big 10 is going to beat up USC

[@H2Glitch2007]

brisket cant recruit or smoke a brisket

[@jerryfike8048]

karma...

[@yatesmassey1535]

Riley has always been over-rated as a HC. What has he done???

[@voiceofreason2674]

I dont wish any kinda mortal ill on USC but Lsu had BETTER beat them

[@toddbowles8201]

They start the season 0-1

[@ericsweeden474]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. Now u see why OU is glad he’s gone !!!

[@shameless1047]

lol you have bv now who hasn’t done shit yet and hasn’t even had a season as good as Riley ever had at OU so you sound stupid and your boy bv is about to get his shit stomped in by the sec. Y’all act like bv is a better coach 😂

[@demondfrance2403]

You hate USC... ONE DOWN YEAR! WOW

[@GavinSchmavin44]

They've had 1 season with more than 8 wins in the last 5 years. And just when 7-5 with a Hiesman qb and one of the most talented offenses a this season. They're consistently mediocre so in reality they had one good year. And now it's gone.

[@demondfrance2403]

@@GavinSchmavin44 but that was under Clay Helton, not Lincoln Riley. Let him recruit his guys before we start dragging his name.

[@darellspann6628]

Your boy hasn't out recruited Oklahoma since he got to Southern Cal. Lincoln Riley is a piece of garbage and y'all fell for it hook line and sinker

[@tombob671]

Tebow is gonna be Tebow

[@ryannelson2653]

6-6 USC is a soft program on both lines of scrimmage. Big Ten will hit them in the face!

[@gregoryfugal4722]

Utah neutered USC.

[@superkat460]

Riley, his new elite coaches and Trojan fans are waiting for AD Jen and the new NIL CEO to get on the same page with a NIL reality commitment. Changes are coming!

[@user-wt9ro5hg9n]

Lincoln Riley has these guys scared, they can't stop talking about Lincoln Riley. By the way USC has never tried to be Oregon or buy championships, that shit isn't working for them at all. You see everyone knows what the deal is on Oregon. A whole lot of pretty uniforms and a owner that's getting tired of spending thousands of dollars trying to get what USC already has!!!lol, Oregon is a laughing stock it's has nothing to show for the money it's spending. You know who's on the hot Dan Lanning, Phil Knight has spent a lot of money on this clown and he got beat out last year. So get a life dude

[@SouthernSooner-wn3el]

It bought a win and better record than usc.

[@ce6277]

Has everyone scared except Tulane

[@seanvosq]

Josh has officially ran out of topics

[@ronanethann]

Thank you Josh for understanding that it is the people above Lincoln Riley causing the issues. The people running NIL and in control of the $$$ are what’s the biggest problem.

[@MosDefnIT88]

Thank you Josh for agreeing with me* There I fixed it....

[@ronanethann]

@@MosDefnIT88 Lol no, Riley hasn’t been getting what he was promised from administration. Usc AD and Pres need to step up as well as NIL organizations. It’s not a money problem. Head coach is far from the top in terms of making big decisions like that.

[@darellspann6628]

You want to blame Southern Cal and not Lincoln Riley when he's done the exact same thing he did at Oklahoma to the letter

[@Lane2268]

Lets see, The Rams, The Chargers, The Dodgers, The Angels, the Clippers, and the hottest ticket is the Los Angeles lakers. If you aren't packing in 20, 000 in a classically emptys stadium that did not even sale out every game when they did have great coaching the 70's and the 2000's they are not consistent and do not puill stadium, attendance to be blue bloods sorry prophylactics,.

[@Thedog9]

This is dumb. USC is in LA, investors aren’t going to give college kids money when the lakers, dodgers, rams, chargers, angels, kings, and ducks are in the same town. The same thing is happening at Miami and Boston college