Lincoln Riley Compares USC To Michigan, Says He Wants To Get It Right In LA

It was a miserable 2023 season for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. 

Despite returning reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and several other key starters, not to mention a highly rated recruiting class and major defensive transfers, the Trojans went just 1-5 to finish the regular season. Losses piled up; Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, Oregon and an embarrassing home loss to UCLA. Even the one win was unsatisfying; a 50-49 comeback win over Cal that required a goal line stand on a two-point conversion try.

Riley fired embattled defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, lost a ton of big name players to the transfer portal, then saw Caleb Williams decide to sit out for the team's bowl game against #16 Louisville. Somehow, USC put together a relatively easy 42-28 win anyway.

READ: Lincoln Riley Deserves A Lot Of Credit For USC’s Bowl Win

But Riley may have gotten a bit too excited after the bowl win. In a press conference on Thursday, he compared USC's current recruiting situation and development to the Michigan Wolverines just a few years ago. The National Champion Michigan Wolverines.

Maybe let's all just calm down for a minute now, huh?

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans looks on against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2023 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Lincoln Riley Has A Long Ways To Go At USC

Riley also said he wants to "get it right here," when asked about his interest in potentially taking an NFL job.

"Get it right" sounds a lot more reasonable and realistic than comparing the current Trojans' situation to the defending National Champions. USC finished 8-5, and enters 2024 with one of the toughest schedules in the country. They lost Kansas State transfer Will Howard to Ohio State and saw former 5-star recruit Malachi Nelson to Boise State meaning their quarterback room is effectively just Miller Moss and UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava.

Oh, and then there's the defense.

It's reasonable to hope for improvement with new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, and Riley also brought in Eric Henderson from the LA Rams. But the Trojans' defense was quite literally among the worst in the country in 2023, so even improvement may not be close to enough. To be fair to Riley, he did mention "stacking classes," implying he realizes it could be years before the Trojans are competitive nationally.

Maybe start by not using Michigan as the example though, right?