Paul Finebaum Makes Unhinged Claim About Lincoln Riley's Job Status

You know football is around the corner when analysts and pundits start making crazy claims.

You can set your watch to hot take artists uncorking some truly elite level takes that border on trolling at times.

Paul Finebaum is now the proud owner of a new one involving USC coach Lincoln Riley. He thinks the Trojans coach might be cooked.

Paul Finebaum questions Lincoln Riley's job security.

Riley is 19-8 in two seasons with the Trojans. USC went 11-3 in 2022 and took a step backwards with an 8-5 2023 campaign. Not great, but hardly any reason to panic, especially when considering the problem is the program's defense. Well, Finebaum thinks it's time to smash the panic button.

"Bruce Feldman said a minute ago that he thought they are looking at about seven wins, which is pretty dangerous when you are the USC coach and you have two back-to-back bad seasons. I mean, I think it's over for Lincoln Riley, anyway. To me, he's lost control. And once you lose control, you're like in the middle of quicksand," Finebaum recently said on his show, according to SI.com. 

An absolute scorching hot take from ESPN's favorite SEC pundit. Lost control? Lost control of what? He had one disappointing season with one of the worst defenses in America.

Paul Finebaum ponders whether Lincoln Riley is done with the Trojans. (Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports)

This is a take truly detached from reality. Lincoln Riley might be done at USC? Absolutely no shot. Putting aside the fact he hasn't been bad enough on the field to get fired just yet, the finances behind it make no sense.

Riley's contract isn't public because USC is a private school, but it's believed to be for 10 years with a buyout north of $80 million.

Anyone who thinks USC is going to dump that contract to turn around and hire another expensive coach after two or three seasons is crazy. That's not going to happen.

Furthermore, USC is entering its Big Ten era, and its schedule this year is downright brutal. The Trojans have games against LSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Penn State, Washington, Nebraska and Notre Dame.

All of those teams should be very competitive. The administration isn't going to toss Lincoln Riley to the curb because the team faced a murderer's row of teams in his first season in a new conference.

Will USC fire Lincoln Riley. (Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)

Hot take artists rarely disappoint, and Finebaum hit a home run with his claim that Riley's status might be in trouble. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.