On Saturday night, the USC football team upset No. 2 Ohio State 30-18. With the victory, the Trojans improved to 7-2 on the season and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
Following the game, Antonio Morales of The Athletic evaluated the state of the USC program.
"For the first time in a while, Lincoln Riley and the Trojans gave their fans a tangible reason to believe," Morales wrote. "The victory against Ohio State was USC’s biggest accomplishment and most impressive performance since Riley arrived in Los Angeles.
"For one night, it was the fulfillment of the promise and potential Riley was supposed to offer when he took the job five years ago. His teams have rarely delivered efforts like Saturday’s in big spots, which is why earlier in the week he faced questions
about his future at the school.
"So while USC gave fans and neutral observers a reason to believe in the program on Saturday night, the real question is: Should you?
"The USC that handled Ohio State on Saturday night is capable of beating anyone in the Big Ten. The Trojans who showed up in the first eight games of the season are capable of losing to almost anyone in the Big Ten — and almost did, as evidenced by the September scare at Rutgers.
"So as cathartic as the Ohio State win was, the fact is that trust is earned. The opportunity for Riley and USC to accomplish that is there, but it’s on him and the program to actually follow through. That would send a more powerful message than any written statement."
USC has two more games against top ten opponents this season. Win both of those, and the Trojans will be headed to the College Football Playoff and Riley's future at USC will be secure. Lose one or both, however, and there will be plenty of uncertainty surrounding his job status and the future of the program.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: The Athletic evaluates state of the USC program after Ohio State upset
