"USC is in the Big Ten race": Joel Klatt lauds Lincoln Riley's recent success after fortifying Trojans in 2024
College football analyst Joel Klatt was left impressed by Lincoln Riley's success, especially after the USC Trojans' big win to start the new season. In their Week 1 game at Allegiant Stadium, the Trojans pulled off a crucial victory, defeating the No. 13 LSU Tigers 27-20.
This win marked USC's first AP Top 15 victory since 2017 and was a major milestone for Riley's tenure.
Currently ranked No. 23, the Trojans are expected to make a significant leap in the rankings, possibly landing around No. 16. Klatt praised Riley on "The Joel Klatt Show" on Tuesday:
“This USC win is going to reverberate around college football,” Klatt said. “Lincoln Riley, who's been to a bunch of playoffs, who wins conferences constantly, plays big games constantly.”
He noted that last year was the only blip in Riley's career but believes the coach has turned things around with a stronger defense:
“Basically, there's one year in his coaching career that it didn't go well, which is last year,” he added. “And now all of a sudden, he's got a better defense… Holy cow.”
Over the summer, the program added D'Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator from the UCLA Bruins.
According to Klatt, USC's resurgence should send a message to other top teams in the Big Ten, like Michigan and Ohio State, who had shaky starts:
“I mean, folks, USC now is all of a sudden right in the echelon and it's a five-team league at the top,” Klatt said. “Penn State looked really good. And now USC can clearly say, ‘Yeah, we're in this race as well.’”
Their victory over LSU was sealed by a late-game 13-yard touchdown run by transfer running back Woody Marks, giving them a strong 1-0 start.
The game drew plenty of attention, with ESPN reporting 9.2 million viewers, peaking at 11.1 million. ABC also had its second-most-watched Week 1 with 8.0 million viewers across four games.
Also Read: “We would talk and laugh about it”: LSU’s Brian Kelly on discussing his move from Notre Dame with USC’s Lincoln Riley who came from Oklahoma
Lincoln Riley’s Trojans had some fun after their Sunday night win over LSU
USC took to TikTok with a playful dance that quickly went viral. In a lighthearted jab, Trojans recreated LSU's famous "Get the Gat" dance from the Tigers' 2019 National Championship celebration.
The video, featuring quarterback Miller Moss, who stepped up to replace Caleb Williams, showed the team enjoying the moment after their big win.
But the real trolling kicked off after the game, with USC players mimicking LSU's signature moves, adding fuel to the rivalry.
Now, with spirits high, Lincoln Riley's Trojans will look ahead to their next challenge as they get ready to host Utah State on Saturday.
Also Read: AP Poll Top 25 Ranking After Week 1: Florida State drops out while Lincoln Riley's USC rises