Urban Meyer Sends Blunt Message to Lincoln Riley
Urban Meyer Sends Blunt Message to Lincoln Riley originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The USC Trojans have had just one double-digit-win season since 2018. Having gone a disappointing 7-6 during his cast's first season in the Big Ten, Lincoln Riley is under pressure to do better this time around.
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Former Florida Gators and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer turned the heat up on Riley during a conversation with Colin Cowherd on Tuesday.
"I guess the way I've always looked at USC is I equate them to Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, and Florida," Meyer said. "I've always looked at USC as one of the top five jobs in America. I've got a lot of respect for Lincoln Riley, and I promised myself I would never call for jobs — because I'm not gonna do that. However, when seven (or) eight wins is acceptable at USC, that's when I don't know. I don't agree with that.
Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
"I think you take a five-hour net and drop it on USC and you see the best players in the country. ... They have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country right now. Shouldn't they have that every year? I mean, USC is USC."
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According to 247Sports, Riley and the Trojans have earned 28 commitments in the Class of 2026, including five-stars Keenyi Pope and Mark Bowman. Meyer wants to see results before that crop of players arrives in Los Angeles.
"I think they're gonna have a great year and I think we're not gonna have to (have) this conversation," Meyer said. "But, go 8-5 at Ohio State and see what happens."
Related: Lincoln Riley Makes His Thoughts on NFL Coaching Interest Extremely Clear
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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