It's a very bad time to be a USC football fan. Not only are the Trojans and Lincoln Riley likely to miss the College Football Playoff once again after losing to Oregon, but rival UCLA looks like a dramatically changed program under Bob Chesney. The Bruins walked into Maryland and gave the Terrapins a 54-3 beatdown on Saturday. USC has plenty of its own problems to deal with, but now there's the added headache of UCLA being good and obviously on the rise.
UCLA begins to show Curt Cignetti-like results
It is a very Curt Cignetti-like outcome for a former James Madison head coach to walk into the Big Ten and - in his first season - drill an opponent by 51 in a conference road game. Indiana did that kind of stuff in Cignetti's first season. Bob Chesney did that in his first Big Ten road game as UCLA
coach. The parallels are unmistakable. While this UCLA team does not appear to be as good as Cignetti's 2024 Indiana team, the change in attitude and outcomes is impossible to ignore in Westwood. Chesney is definitely building something.
The Big Ten is weaker than expected
Keep this point in mind: The Big Ten is a lot more wobbly than many people expected. USC's next two opponents, Washington and Penn State, lost at home in Week 4 to not-that-good opponents. Washington lost to Minnesota while Penn State blew a 17-0 lead to Wisconsin. Michigan lost at home to Iowa. UCLA might not be that great, but in this Big Ten environment, it has a chance to rise higher than expected only because the competition is highly vulnerable.
Not likely, but possible: UCLA in the College Football Playoff
Is UCLA likely to make the College Football Playoff? No. There are still a few too many roster holes for Bob Chesney to fully plug up. However, with the Big Ten struggling, the idea of UCLA going 6-2 in its remaining eight games to finish 10-2 and in playoff position is not insane. It's unlikely, but it's not preposterous.
UCLA football remaining schedule
The Bruins and Bob Chesney face Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and USC.
Wisconsin, Michigan State, Nevada, Minnesota, and Illinois look like wins. That's five of the six wins UCLA needs to reach 10-2. If the Bruins handle those five games, they would need just one win from the Oregon-Michigan-USC trio to reach 10-2. Again, it's not likely UCLA gets it done, but it's certainly possible.
Big Ten road games for Bob Chesney and Lincoln Riley
Lincoln Riley hasn't had one dominant Big Ten road game yet at USC. Bob Chesney, in his very first Big Ten road game at UCLA, won by 51. The contrast could not be sharper.
USC football nightmare
Even if UCLA doesn't make the playoff this year, the Bruins going 9-3 (which looks probable at this point) would underscore how good a hire they made with Bob Chesney. UCLA is poised to succeed in the near future, which is enough to make USC fans miserable. It adds to the urgency surrounding the program.
Trojans must act decisively
UCLA rising is a warning shot to USC and Jennifer Cohen: Act now or continue to fall behind in relationship to the Bruins. UCLA got the right man as head coach. Lincoln Riley is very clearly not the right man for USC. If five seasons isn't enough to get it done, there shouldn't be a sixth season.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Take note, Lincoln Riley: Bob Chesney wins 1st Big Ten road game by 51
