Lincoln Riley flips script on hot-seat chatter as USC's upset over Ohio State puts Trojans back in CFP picture

The biggest win of Riley’s USC tenure came at home against the second-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday night

Back against the wall and facing music reaching scream-metal decibels about his job security, Lincoln Riley delivered. For only the sixth time in 21 tries at USC, the Trojans toppled a ranked opponent under Riley, and it was a big one Saturday night against second-ranked Ohio State. USC's 30-18 victory pushes Riley's squad back in the College Football Playoff discussion as part of the group that controls their own destiny entering the season's final month — with an outside shot at a Big Ten Championship Game appearance, too. Poetically, this was his middle finger to questions surrounding his future and failure to meet expectations in Los Angeles. The Trojans still have elite opportunities remaining against Indiana — a one-loss team that's leaking oil with quarterback issues — and unbeaten UCLA during rivalry weekend.

Riley was 1-6 all-time against AP top-six opponents coming in, that lone victory coming in the form of a 31-16 decision over the Buckeyes in just his second game as a head coach back at Oklahoma in 2017. "If I didn't want to be at this place, I wouldn't have come here in the first place," Riley said this week before the biggest win of his USC tenure. "I've had plenty of opportunities to leave. This is where I want to be. This is the right place