Following a roller-coaster 2024 campaign—beginning well with three victories in their opening four games but then struggling to a 7-6 finish—the Trojans are prepping for a make-or-break 2025 season that could define Lincoln Riley’s time in Los Angeles. Riley has recruited a top-ranked class, rebuilt his staff, and hired splashy additions such as strength coach Trumain Carroll, while the defense, coached by D’Anton Lynn, will figure to make another significant jump forward after last season. Through it all, national pundits such as ESPN’s Paul Finebaum have labeled Riley a “fraud” due to his inability to live up to the stratospheric expectations following his departure from Oklahoma to USC.USC is entering 2025 with a combination of hope and urgency—aware that with the playoff going to 12, the opportunity is there, but only if they can finally put everything together on the biggest stages. The offense, headed by quarterback Jayden Maiava and with highly touted recruit Husan Longstreet on the sidelines, retains the talent to compete, but the margin for error is paper-thin.On the 18th June episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, Tom Fornelli, Bud Elliot, and Chip Patterson explore the USC opportunities to make something special this season with the behind-the-scenes horrors still in the making. “Quarterback being the wild card, you almost have to feel pretty good about Lincoln Riley’s track record of getting quality quarterback play,” says Bud. Riley simply flat-out knows how to get the best out of his signal-callers, whoever happens to be taking snaps. Take a brief walk down memory lane—Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Spencer Rattler, Caleb Williams. That’s a roll call of names that looks like a who’s who of college football stardom, and Riley’s been the conductor behind each of their seasons of emergence.Riley was able to adapt his system to their strengths, not the reverse. That’s the true secret: he doesn’t put his guys into a box. He structures the offense around what they do best, whether it’s throwing it deep, scrambling for bonus yards, or creating plays out of nothing. USC’s receivers are deep, and if quarterback play gets better and the defense continues on its upward path, this may be the year the Trojans make some noise. “My concern is that last year this team suc-ed on the road. Like they were very different at home compared to when they left the Coliseum, and they’ve got a road game at Notre Dame,” Tom says.At the Coliseum, the Trojans resembled a team with swagger. They scored big, played confidently, and for the most part, took care of business. Except against Notre Dame. The first two quarters were back-and-forth, both teams trading touchdowns and going into halftime at 14-14. The Trojans fought hard, and it appeared they had a good shot at pulling an upset. Notre Dame dominated the second half as quarterback Riley Leonard guided the team to score three touchdowns during the third quarter. Despite all efforts by USC, Maiava threw two interceptions, which Watts and Gray returned for touchdowns, sealing Notre Dame’s 49-35 win after USC briefly threatened to bridge the gap.It wasn’t all Notre Dame, though. Road games against Michigan, Minnesota, and Maryland destroyed any momentum Riley built at home. The Michigan game was especially tough, considering the Wolverines were struggling throughout the season. The Trojans were outplayed, outcoached, and outscored. Tom continues to add, “If you look at their road games in the Big 10, they start with the road game against Purdue, not worried about that. But they’re on the road for Illinois, Nebraska, and Oregon, and considering the games that they lost on the road last year, I have a difficult time thinking that they’re going to go through those three games, only losing one of them.”Now consider this year’s road schedule. Illinois is problematic—they’re not a powerhouse, but they’re tough and will be eager to prove themselves against a name program like USC. Nebraska is always difficult in Lincoln, particularly with a hostile environment and a team that’s getting better under Matt Rhule.And Oregon? Don’t even mention it. That is one of the most difficult venues in the nation, and the Ducks are swimming in talent and experience. If USC struggled on the road against comparable clubs a year ago, it’s difficult to see them just switch scripts and take two out of three in these kinds of venues. The crew does see an avenue, however. The defense sputtered on its feet a year ago—from bottom-of-the-barrel to merely okay. If they can continue to develop, particularly away from home, USC may be a legitimate danger.A rivalry forged in tradition and trash talkElections are not held in the USC vs. Notre Dame rivalry, and for good reason: it has seen it all. The epic turnaround, the gut-wrenching loss, and the moment that set the tone for an entire season. Notre Dame holds the advantage in the series, winning 51-38-5 as of the last count. There have been mythical streaks—such as the Irish eleven-game coup in the 1980s and early ’90s and USC’s supremacy in the 2000s under Pete Carroll, when the Trojans strung together eight consecutive victories.But recently, the competition has had some added pizzazz—and not only on the gridiron. Following Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman for some biting remarks regarding USC’s direction with Lincoln Riley, the Trojans’ coach found himself criticized by fans and analysts alikeFreeman added, “It takes both parties to tango.” The sniping between the two programs is nothing new, but in the era of social media and 24/7 sports radio, every sentence gets magnified. The onus falls on Riley to not only win games but to revive USC’s prestige in this historic rivalry. Even as the future of the feud hangs in doubt—with just games on the books through 2026—the fire hasn’t burned out. For the players, coaches, and fans, USC vs. Notre Dame is still a benchmark, an opportunity to demonstrate something, and a reminder why college football is much more than merely a contest.The post Pressure Mounts on Lincoln Riley as USC’s Past Demons Resurface in New Verdict appeared first on EssentiallySports.