Lincoln Riley and Southern California had a prime opportunity to re-enter the College Football Playoff conversation Saturday, Nov. 14 ... if USC won its road game at Indiana.
Instead, the Trojans delivered a familiar performance against elite competition. USC was outscored 17-3 in the second half as the Hoosiers pulled away for a 27-13 win at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington and dropped further down the Big Ten standings.
The defeat sparked yet another emotional response on social media from former USC star receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who questioned the program's direction in a minute-plus rant and suggested it may be "just time to find somebody else" to lead
the Trojans.
"I tried. I tried my best, but in all honesty, it's time to find somebody else," the former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick said, making it clear he believes USC should move on from Riley after five seasons.
I don’t even know what to say… I tried my best but it’s time to go with somebody else. 🤷🏾♂️ #FightOn #USC #Football pic.twitter.com/FCedAfcjLE
— Keyshawn Johnson (@keyshawn) November 15, 2026
The Trojans' loss on Saturday to the Hoosiers drops them to a three-loss team in the Big Ten and hands them their second loss this season against a top-25 opponent. It also drops USC's record to 6-15 against ranked teams since Riley was hired away from Oklahoma in 2022. USC is 36-6 against unranked opponents under Riley.
The defeat will likely drop USC out of the next installation of the College Football Playoff top 25 rankings on Tuesday after coming in at No. 18 in last week's unveiling. At best, the selection committee may put them right at the cut-off in the range of No. 23 to No. 25.
Indiana's defense picked off Jayden Maiava three times on Saturday, a season high for the 6-foot-4 quarterback. He completed 26 of 42 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown, which came in the second quarter. USC scored its six other points on the night off a pair of field goals.
"I'm sorry, man. I don't even know what to say. Where did we go wrong? It's unbelievable. I don't even know what to say. I guess, 'Fight On,' " Johnson said.
USC returns home on Nov. 21 to host Maryland at 6:15 p.m. ET before ending the regular season at UCLA on Nov. 28.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USC great Keyshawn Johnson calls for Lincoln Riley firing: 'Time to find somebody else'
