Updated October 24, 2026, 11:19 p.m. ET
Lincoln Riley has reached the end of his leash.
No more losing. No more excuses. If this continues, his time in Los Angeles should be over.
No. 15 Southern California lost another Big Ten road game it had nothing to lose, getting pushed around by a Wisconsin team that was jumping around the Trojans in a 24-7 rout.
Here we go again.
It’s become an annual tradition for USC to lose Big Ten road games that it should win. The Trojans are now 4-9 when playing in the Central or Eastern time zones. But as damaging as those losses were, this one might be the most embarrassing yet.
There was nothing pretty about USC’s first visit to Camp Randall Stadium since 1965.
Jayden Maiava looked like a shell of the gunslinger who had established himself among the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks, throwing two interceptions for the first time this season. USC’s collection of explosive playmakers seemed stuck at a standstill, unable to produce the big plays that normally make this offense dangerous and finishing with -17 rushing yards.
Special teams missed two field goals – one right after a delay of game penalty.
And of course, there was the defense.
Oh, the USC defense.
If Saturday, Oct. 24, was the first time you watched Wisconsin play football this season, you might have mistaken the Badgers for one of the best teams in the Big Ten. Luke Fickell’s team has improved considerably, perhaps enough to save his job, but this is not a team that should physically dominate USC.
And yet, that’s exactly what happened.
Wisconsin ran the Trojans for 142 yards on 43 carries, despite quarterback Colton Joseph only throwing for 58 yards on 12 completions. USC knew what was coming. It just couldn’t stop him.
The result was historically ugly.
The 17-point loss is the largest for a ranked Riley team against an unranked opponent. The seven points are the fewest a team coached by Riley has scored during his head coaching career.
This wasn’t just another serious road loss. It’s the kind of performance that should make USC wonder how much longer it can tolerate the same problems and produce the same results.
Will USC football fire Lincoln Riley?
This question no longer seems as scandalous as it once did.
This atrocious performance didn’t come out of nowhere. USC hasn’t looked particularly good in weeks. Once the Trojans escaped their non-conference schedule, getting to 6-1 became a struggle.
They barely survived Rutgers. They lost to Oregon again. They played so poorly in the win over Washington that the student section chanted for Riley to be fired. Then they escaped a whiteout against a bad Penn State team.
If you’re a USC fan, is there anything about this 6-2 team that suggests Riley’s program is finally ready to take the step everyone has been waiting for?
Somehow the season isn’t completely lost. But now there is absolutely no margin for error.
And take a look at what’s coming.
Ohio State is next. Then reigning national champion Indiana. Next is the rivalry game against UCLA.
Good luck.
Because another loss could turn the conversation about Riley from increasingly uncomfortable to inevitable. What was supposed to be the season that USC ultimately got through is instead threatening to become another chapter in an extremely disappointing tenure.
And Saturday’s opponent only makes the situation worse.
This is the same Wisconsin team that lost 17-7 to UCLA.
Oh, and that team across town?
It’s 7-0.
USC is running out of explanations, patience and opportunities.
No more excuses.
Gn sports
