The biggest story in college football around these parts concerns Westwood's downtrodden program and whether it will abandon its abandoned stadium in Pasadena.
UCLA's incompetence has overshadowed every team in this market outside of Dodgers And Lakersand that includes USC.
This speaks volumes about where USC is now.
The Trojans have become a minor issue in the market they once dominated, and they only have themselves to blame.
Their 29-10 win over Bad News Bruins. at the Coliseum on Saturday, that didn't change.
The Trojans, ranked 17th in the country, are not a bad team by any means.
They are something worse.
They're stuck.
USC coach Lincoln Riley congratulates tight end Walker Lyons after his successful two-point conversion attempt against UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
USC literally can't afford the buyout. Lincoln Riley trainer This means that, until further notice, the Trojans will be known as a team that is good enough not to embarrass itself, but not good enough to make the College Football Playoff.
At this time in this particular market, that relegates USC to the margins of the congested Los Angeles sports landscape.
About to complete his fourth season with the Trojans, Riley appears to be aware of the perception of his program, or at least what the market expects from a program defined by championships.
“I understand that Los Angeles is a place where people are not just going to show up,” he said. “You've got to win. You've got to give them something. And when you do that, there's no better sports city.”
Riley pointed to the packed Coliseum Saturday night as proof the Trojans were doing something right. Nearly 70,000 tickets were given out for the UCLA game.
However, the dedication of USC fans should not be confused with excitement. According to the program's most ardent supporters, the team was not successful.
Riley talked up the Trojans' 7-0 home record, which included wins over Michigan and Iowa, but the truth is that the season will be defined by the games that weren't won.
Defeat in Illinois.
Lost at Notre Dame.
A loss at Oregon that effectively knocked USC out of CFP contention.
As a program that defines itself through championships, the Trojans measure success on a binary scale. They either compete for a national title or they don't. These Trojans are not.
Riley said this season helped lay the foundation upon which future teams will be built.
“This year was better than last year, and next year will be better, even better than this, and it will continue to grow and grow,” he said.
USC reserve guard Gage Roy rushes into the arms of offensive lineman Tobias Raymond after Roy completed a two-point conversion pass against UCLA at the Coliseum on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
He's made similar statements before, and USC fans are still waiting for his promised return to glory.
By now, words alone will not convince many people about the future of the program. Riley will have to get results, and he will have to get them soon.
The team Riley will coach next season will be much like the team he coached this season, but will almost certainly be without wide receiver Makai Lemon. No. 2 wide receiver Ja'Coby Lane could also declare for the NFL Draft.
Even though Riley has talked about USC's improving conditioning, the Trojans have failed to stop the run in any of their three losses, raising legitimate concerns about whether he can address that issue in the coming months.
The Trojans will welcome the best recruiting class in the country, but how many freshmen can they count on right away?
Ryan Cartier is a Times reporter at the University of Southern California. wrote an article last week about the quarterback situation featuring starter Jayden Maiava and five-star freshman Husan Longstreet. Cartier raised the possibility of Longstreet entering the transfer portal if Maiava returns for his senior season.
In another time and place this would have been an important story. Essentially, it's Riley's job now to get USC's profile back to where the next quarterback controversy will be front-page news. Trojan horses are currently not close to this.
