Lincoln Riley believes this year's Trojans have what it takes
Lincoln Riley is confident with what he has in the building. He believes that this year will be different. Adrian Medina with the Sporting Tribune broke down Riley's recent comments on USC's depth this season.
"Trojans Head Coach Lincoln Riley, entering his fourth year at USC, was confident about the team's sufficiency of depth and support during this year's Big 10 Media Day. It's very apparent that USC is extremely serious about making this football program and returning it back to being one of the greats of college football," Riley said in his opening statement at the podium. "With our current team, seeing how our roster has evolved on all sides, especially defensively, after the huge improvements that we've made a year ago. The championship-caliber depth that is starting to be established all across the board is something that we have all worked hard for."
The Trojans have a better coaching staff now with the addition of former NFL defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. They also have a more experienced roster this season. Out of their 68 players, 44 of them saw some action last season, and 17 Trojans got a chance to start.
That is the experience needed to help the Trojans be a more competitive team this season in the Big Ten. They can mix in the talented freshmen and transfers they have acquired. It is notable to see Lincoln Riley have confidence in the team he is fielding this year, but now the talk needs to turn into action and results.
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USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
Indiana ups ante on pathetic schedule. Will College Football Playoff committee clap back?
Here's the irony in Indiana canceling games against Virginia in two upcoming seasons and replacing the Cavaliers with even meeker opponents: If the Hoosiers aren't good enough to beat Virginia, they aren't good enough to make the College Football Playoff. Heck, if they can't beat Virginia, they're probably not good enough to make the Pinstripe Bowl. This decision isn't just pathetic. It's unnecessary. By ducking Virginia, and flaunting its scheduling choice at Big Ten media days, Indiana is begging the selection committee to treat it like gimcrack the next time it builds something resembling a playoff résumé – if there is a next time. And for what? Virginia last tasted a winning season six years ago. Curt Cignetti's upstart Hoosiers could beat Virginia when they were scheduled to play in 2027 and 2028. He just doesn't see the point in trying. 'We figured we would just adopt SEC scheduling philosophy,' quipped Cignetti, who fancies himself the cleverest man in the North. By swapping Virginia for chum opponents, Indiana will join the many SEC teams that schedule only nine Power Four opponents. SEC schools protect Championship Subdivision games like they're gold doubloons. Unlike SEC teams, though, Indiana won't play a single Power Four non-conference opponent this season, or the next, or the next, and so on. The Hoosiers, like some other Big Ten schools, decided the surest path to contention is scheduling the easiest possible collection of non-conference opponents. Washington coach Jedd Fisch said Cignetti's strategy to avoid Power Four non-conference opponents is "dead-on right." Herein lies the great pitfall of the committee's selection of Indiana to the playoff last season as the No. 10 seed, despite its flimsy strength of schedule. Coaches saw Indiana's strategy work, and now they wonder if they should mimic it, at the expense of playing compelling games. The 2024 Hoosiers capitalized on a soft schedule draw from the Big Ten, and they avoided any opponents from the SEC, ACC or Big 12. They reached 11-1 without a signature victory, but no bad losses. The committee did not err by admitting Indiana. It lacked superior alternatives. Never mind the nonsense that Alabama, with its 9-3 résumé including two losses to 6-6 teams, built more deserving qualifications than the Hoosiers. If you believe that, you must have 'It Just Means More' tattooed on your bicep. The committee judiciously chose the Hoosiers, but, this being a copycat sport, now we've got teams from Indiana to Nebraska trying to game theory their way into the playoff by ducking any non-conference opponent with a pulse. The issue isn't confined to the Big Ten, either. The SEC won't dare add another conference game to its schedule, because why welcome another tussle when you could cream some flotsam from the MAC? Programs that knew they'd never sniff a four-team playoff wonder if they can emulate Indiana and qualify for this expanded playoff by following a Hoosiers recipe that calls for construction of the feeblest schedule possible. The twist of it is, if a few bubble teams with superior schedule strength had not gotten upset in the season's final two weeks, the committee might have rejected Indiana from the field. Because, contrary to what the SEC's propaganda campaign would have you believe, the committee cares about strength of schedule. Enough bubble teams lost, though, so the Hoosiers slipped in, and the industry accepted Indiana's scheduling method as foolproof, rather than foolish – until the committee reverses course, or the bubble strengthens in a future season. Cignetti jabbed at the SEC at media days, but his quip and scheduling moves also mock the committee and its selection of the Hoosiers. He's acting as if he outwitted the committee. Beware, because the committee is an evolving organism, unbound by past selection strategies. The committee never barred an undefeated Power Four team from the four-team playoff – until it shunned 13-0 Florida State to make room for the SEC's one-loss champion. What's to stop the committee from rejecting the next 11-1 team that slinks into Selection Sunday touting three triumphs against non-conference lackeys that can't spell football, and not a single win against a ranked opponent? Nothing. Committee membership changes. Its chairperson changes. Situations change. No two seasons unfold the same way. If the committee believes it's being played for a fool by Cignetti and others like him, perhaps it will stiffen its spine against a team that uses a weak schedule as a catapult to a strong record. The persistent reluctance to schedule tough non-conference games remains an anchor preventing college football from ascending to a higher perch. The committee wields power to spur some evolution on that non-conference scheduling strategy. If the committee starts rejecting bubble teams that play nothing but slappies in September, I suspect we'll begin to see fewer schedules devoid of Power Four non-conference opponents. Until then, if Cignetti fears a game against Virginia, then he must not believe he's built one of the nation's top 12 teams. Maybe, the committee will learn to trust his judgment. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
Who has the best college football stadium? We ranked our top 25
Talent and coaching will take you places in college football, but only so far. The best programs in the Bowl Subdivision play for conference and national championships in part because of mesmerizing home-field advantages that have etched many Power Four and Group of Five venues into the very fabric of the sport. While home teams have won about 60% of games during the past 20 years, some programs are nearly unbeatable on their home field. As examples, think of the reception visitors receive at Death Valley (LSU or Clemson), or the intimidation factor at Big Ten icons such as Ohio Stadium and Beaver Stadium. But let's try and tackle this controversial debate: Which Bowl Subdivision stadium is the unfriendliest? With no shortage of options, USA TODAY Sports tracked records, traditions and environments to list the 25 most inhospitable stadiums in the FBS. The list begins with LSU's version of Death Valley and is stocked with the biggest names in the Big Ten, SEC and elsewhere: 1. Tiger Stadium, LSU Former Arkansas running back and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Darren McFadden once said of Death Valley: "The fans are relentless.' That's especially true for night games, when "the sun has found its home in the western sky," as the public address announcer says inside Tiger Stadium. After LSU fans spend the day sucking down hooch, they're in no mood to take prisoners. 2. Beaver Stadium, Penn State Few sights are more intimidating to visitors than Penn State's annual "White Out" games, when fans dress up in white tops to provide visitors with an unsettling, eye-popping backdrop. Combined with the deafening roar provided by 100,000-plus fans, this makes Beaver Stadium one of the elite settings in the FBS. 3. Ohio Stadium, Ohio State The Buckeyes have long made the Horseshoe one of the most hostile venues in the FBS. (Unless you're Michigan, which has won two in a row in Columbus.) Since the stadium opened in 1922, OSU has been dominant at home, including a remarkable 55-3 record (94.9%) since 2016. 4. Autzen Stadium, Oregon While Autzen's official capacity of 54,000 makes it cozier than most Power Four stadiums, it became an utter house of horrors for opponents in the late 1990s before reaching a peak during the Chip Kelly era, when the Ducks rolled off a 21-game winning streak. Oregon has lost just once at home since hiring Dan Lanning in 2022 and gone unbeaten the past two years. 5. Memorial Stadium, Clemson To some, this is the "other" Death Valley. That's way underselling how Memorial Stadium can wobble the knees of any visiting opponent. Clemson recently had a 40-game home winning streak, the longest in ACC history, before it was snapped late in the 2022 season. The program also has a memorable tradition of running down The Hill toward the field and rubbing Howard's Rock to gain "the mystical powers it is supposed to give Clemson players," the school says. 6. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee In a conference with no shortage of nasty environments, Tennessee fans are seen as particularly ruthless. Neyland Stadium is "a different type of loud," described former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. And when 'Rocky Top' plays on a loop, it's pure psychological torture. 7. Sanford Stadium, Georgia The environment "Between the Hedges" has made the Bulldogs nearly unbeatable at home under coach Kirby Smart. While the literally barking from Georgia fans doesn't always rattle your eardrums, Sanford Stadium can rumble when challenged. 8. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama Alabama fans don't always roar as fiercely as others listed above. But last season's game against Georgia showed how Tide fans can bring the noise when they feel they must. Alabama is nearly unbeatable at home the past 20 years. 9. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida As former coach Steve Spurrier aptly said, 'only Gators get out alive' from The Swamp. Florida has won 71.4% of its home games against SEC opponents the past 10 years, compared to 47.6% on the road in conference games. That's the definition of home-field advantage. 10. Kyle Field, Texas A&M Yeah, there are some odd chants, routines and hand signs from the school's Aggie Yell Leaders. But don't be mistaken: Kyle Field towers like no other and literally shakes when the noise swells (as it often does). The Aggies entering to 'POWER' is one of college football's best intros. 11. Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma A touch smaller than other SEC colossuses with a capacity of 80,126, the "Palace on the Prairie" still more than holds its own. (Seven national title banners hanging inside help deliver that message.) The Sooner Schooner cruising the field paints a scene fit for one of the nation's premier football conferences. 12. Michigan Stadium, Michigan The largest venue by capacity in college sports? Check. But that's selling Michigan Stadium short: This is the largest stadium by total seating in the Western Hemisphere and the third-largest in the world. Though their current digs were completed in 1927, the Wolverines are 662-154-21 at home since 1883. 13. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn Some say Jordan-Hare uncorks a strange voodoo magic on opponents. (See the "Prayer in Jordan-Hare" and the 2012 Iron Bowl, held just two weeks apart, for one example.) It may also just be that Auburn fans create a tough environment that lends itself to late-game meltdowns or heroics. Find someone who loves you the way Auburn fans love to 'Swag Surf.' 14. Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame "The House that Rockne Built" is iconic enough to essentially be a pictorial stand-in for college football itself. There's the "Touchdown Jesus" mural. Lines and lines of some of the sport's most memorable coaches and players. National championships galore. While the vibe might be different than that seen at some of the larger SEC fields, no one can deny that Notre Dame Stadium occupies a special place in the NCAA landscape. 15. Husky Stadium, Washington When things are going right for Washington, Husky Stadium easily counts among the loudest spots in the FBS. It also may be the most picturesque venue as well: There may be no more aesthetically pleasing scene in college football than a packed, rocking-and-rolling Husky Stadium with sailboats dotting Lake Washington – what locals call 'sailgating.' (While in Seattle, former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian named his boat "Noah Sark.") 16. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas Admittedly, the Texas fans at DKR (often derided by detractors as a "wine and cheese" crowd) don't always produce a decibel level to match the 100,119-person capacity. But you have to also admit that the Longhorn faithful can turn it up for big games. Texas has won 14 of 15 at home. 17. Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina The Gamecocks peck above their weight at Williams-Brice, long one of the SEC's and broader college football's most underrated venues. The place roars to life when Darude's 'Sandstorm' plays and fans wave white towels chanting, 'U-S-C! U-S-C!' 18. Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah The beautiful panorama in the background belies the electric game-day atmosphere inside Rice-Eccles. On a pound-for-pound (or decibel-for-decibel) level, RES is tough to beat. Utah won 18 home games in a row before losing to Oregon in 2023 19. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin Don't leave your seat at the end of the third quarter. That's when Wisconsin fans "Jump Around' to the 1992 House of Pain classic of the same name, often causing Camp Randall to shake and vibrate. The tradition started in 1998, took a very brief, highly controversial hiatus in 2003 and became a rallying cry during the Badgers' development into a Big Ten powerhouse under former coaches Barry Alvarez and Bret Bielema. 20. Doak S. Campbell Stadium, Florida State Doak can be listless, as during last year's dismal 2-10 finish. But it's also been the site of several legendary wins against some of the most high-profile opponents in the country and continues to rank among the unfriendliest venues for visitors when the Seminoles are rolling. Overall, FSU is 322-109-4 at Doak Campbell (74.5%). 21. Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech Start with the best introduction in college football: Virginia Tech takes the field to Metallica's "Enter Sandman," quickly setting the tone for what can often be the scariest place to play in the ACC. While the home-field advantage has taken a hit this decade, the edge provided by Lane Stadium helped put Tech on the map under legendary coach Frank Beamer. 22. LaVell Edwards Stadium, Brigham Young Provo's towering mountaintops gives LaVell Edwards Stadium some of the most beautiful scenery in college football this side of the Rose Bowl. A noisy, intense and intimidating home crowd is supported by the nearly mile-high elevation that can wear down opponents. BYU is 25-6 at home since 2020. 23. Albertsons Stadium, Boise State The bane of opposing coaches and defenders for decades, the program's legendary blue turf is enough to land Boise on this list. But don't forget the Broncos have gone 212-45 at home since installing the turf in 1986, developing the finest home-field advantage in the Group of Five and helping the program establish itself among the most consistently successful in the sport. 24. Kinnick Stadium, Iowa The environment at Kinnick has helped Iowa go 22-6 at home since 2021. It's also home to the best new tradition in the sport: Since 2017, players and fans turn at the end of the first quarter and wave to the patients at Stead Family Children's Hospital. 'The Hawkeye Wave' is already an indelible part of the college football fabric. 25. Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State The oldest stadium in the Big 12 and one of the few in the country to run in an east-west direction received a major facelift and reboot with Oklahoma State's development into a regional and national player in the 2000s, resulting in all 10 of the most-attended games in program history occurring since 2011. While things ran off the rails last season, Mike Gundy's teams dropped only three home games from 2020-23. (The stadium gets bonus points for having the nicest press-box restroom experience in the Power Four.)
USA Today
4 minutes ago
- USA Today
How many miles will Nebraska football travel in 2025?
One of the biggest changes to college sports over the past several seasons has been conference realignment. With the realignment, regional conferences now stretch coast to coast, resulting in an increase in travel and a dramatic increase in the miles traveled. The Big Ten Huddle did the calculations, and the numbers are eye-popping. No surprise that the four former Pac-12 teams will travel the most in the Big Ten Conference in 2025. Oregon leads the group, with the Ducks scheduled to travel 8,128 miles. Illinois will do the least amount of traveling, with only 2,735 miles scheduled this season. The Huskers ranked tenth in the Big Ten, with 3,790 miles scheduled. Nebraska will open the 2025 college football season on the road. They will face the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 28. The Cornhuskers will only travel four times during Big Ten play. They will play at Minnesota, Maryland, and Penn State, but the farthest road trip in 2025 will be on November 8 when Nebraska plays the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Find the entire Big Ten breakdown below. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
