Commentary: I knew Lincoln Riley was going to be good for USC. But not this good…

J. Brady McCollough (LA Times)  —  A year ago, I knew what USC’s bold move to bring in Lincoln Riley meant — not just for the Trojans but for college football on the West Coast.

I knew that Riley, already proven as one of the top coaches in the sport at 39 years old with a West Texas swagger, was eventually going to elevate USC back to national prominence. I knew that his presence and his electric offenses would reignite Los Angeles’ passion for college football, right as the Rams were building momentum toward a Super Bowl crown won right here in Inglewood. As The Times’ national college football reporter, I was selfishly excited because Riley’s arrival guaranteed a wider audience for my work and that of my ridiculously talented and driven colleagues on the college beat.

But I did not know Riley would be this good.

Yes, once he convinced star quarterback Caleb Williams to transfer from Oklahoma, and once Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver Jordan Addison followed Williams here from Pittsburgh, I figured USC’s turnaround from a deflating 4-8 season would be definitive and swift.

Yet, at the start of the season in August, I couldn’t shake the need to set tempered expectations for year one. Looking at the soft start to the schedule, I saw a reasonable path to 9-1, with the lone loss coming at Utah (which I picked to crash the College Football Playoff semifinals).

My logical brain said UCLA, which beat USC 62-33 last year at the Coliseum and returned Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet, would be built too soundly for the Trojans to overcome in the fifth year of Chip Kelly’s tenure.

That same measured thinking led me to assume that a Notre Dame program USC hadn’t beaten since 2016 and had made two CFP semifinal appearances in that time period — even with a first-time head coach in Marcus Freeman — was going to be able to dictate the tenor of the action with Midwestern brawn.

Wrong. Doubly wrong.

I never could have imagined — and I don’t think I’m alone — that in less than a year Riley and his coaching staff would be able to take Clay Helton’s church youth group culture and mold it into an easy-pour foundation that ended up tougher than Riley’s 2021 Easter brisket (if you don’t get the reference, a quick Google search should explain).

Holy smokes, these Trojans are tough.

Just as much as the Heisman-worthy exploits of Williams, USC roughed up its rivals because it had superior will — and skill — in the trenches.

During a 38-27 win over Notre Dame on Saturday, the Trojans rushed for 204 yards to the Fighting Irish’s 90. Running back Austin Jones had 154 yards, bringing his total in the rivalry victories to 274. USC’s leading receiver, Addison, had just 45 yards.

The Trojans aren’t on the verge of winning the Pac-12 and heading to the playoff for the first time due to their Hollywood flash. South L.A. mettle, more like.

Raleek Brown darts through the Notre Dame defense in the third quarter Saturday at the Coliseum.

(Luis Sinco / LAT)

Just like against UCLA when Charbonnet was held to 95 yards, USC stayed committed to stopping the run against Notre Dame’s pounding attack and never cracked.

Early in the game, the Fighting Irish could not move the ball three to six feet when they needed it most. They resorted to passing with quarterback Drew Pyne, who did it well, but that was never going to be Notre Dame’s formula for victory in the Coliseum.

If you need more proof of Riley’s impact Saturday, look no further than what happened at his alma mater, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders edged Oklahoma 51-48 in overtime, handing the Sooners their sixth Big 12 loss.

Riley lost seven conference games in five seasons leading Oklahoma.

This week, Riley gets a few days to prepare for Utah, the one team that beat USC this year — by one point thanks to a gutsy two-point conversion call by Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, the dean of Pac-12 coaches.

Whittingham’s Utes never go down easy. But, after the last two weeks, I can say this confidently: Neither do Lincoln Riley’s Trojans.

latimes.com

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