Lincoln Riley tried to get USC out of facing 1 opponent

Apr 23, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans coach Lincoln Riley during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC will kick off its 2024 season with one of the most highly anticipated games of the year, and head coach Lincoln Riley reportedly tried to nix it.

According to Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South, USC has made numerous attempts over the past two years to find out a way out of their upcoming game against LSU, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 1. The primary reason for that is that Riley did not want the game.

USC tried several angles to get out of the game, Hayes says. FOX Sports even tried to assist the Trojans at one point, as the network is not thrilled about USC’s first game as a member of the Big Ten being broadcast on ABC/ESPN.

Riley also sought help from his own agent, Trace Armstrong. LSU head coach Brian Kelly is also represented by Armstrong, so Riley reportedly asked Armstrong to try to persuade Kelly to get on board with the idea of doing away with the big Week 1 game.

None of it worked, with a source telling Saturday Down South that Riley and the Trojans “weren’t getting out of the game.”

The USC-LSU game will be held on a Sunday night. It will not have any competition from other marquee games. The game was scheduled in August 2021, which was four months before Riley took the USC job. USC is moving to the Big Ten this season and has a difficult schedule that includes road games against Michigan and Washington, home games against Wisconsin and Penn State, and an annual rivalry game against Notre Dame.

With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams next season, Riley probably feels USC has a better chance of getting in if they begin the season with an easier opponent. Of course, a win over LSU would immediately strengthen USC’s resume. Riley is just going to have to show he deserves that jaw-dropping sum of money he earned in his first year with the Trojans.