Commentary: USC needs to make the right decision and say 'adios' to Lincoln Riley

No. 18 USC fell 27-13 at No. 9 Indiana on Saturday, handing the Trojans a third loss and effectively ending their College Football Playoff hopes in Lincoln Riley's fifth season. The defeat dropped USC to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, with a best-case bowl scenario now the Alamo Bowl, according to Yahoo Sports.

The game turned on a series of self-inflicted mistakes. Defensive backs Alex Graham, Prophet Brown and Jontez Williams each dropped potential interceptions in the end zone, while kicker Caden Chittenden missed two field goals, including a 27-yarder. USC also committed penalties for an illegal blindside block, unsportsmanlike conduct and catch interference. With the Trojans at the Indiana 6-yard line midway through the fourth quarter, quarterback Jayden Maiava threw an interception — the second consecutive drive USC failed to score after reaching at least the 10-yard line.

Riley's road record against ranked opponents fell to 1-8 with the Trojans, a statistic Yahoo Sports cited alongside his roughly $70 million buyout, not counting assistants or an incoming staff. After the loss, Riley maintained his stance: "We've made a lot of progress in this program, and this deserves to be a championship-level program, there's no question, and I'm very confident in the progress that we've made but still understanding that we've still got a little bit here to go." He added, "I believe in what we're doing, I believe in myself, I believe in our leadership, I believe in our administration, I believe in everything that's happening here."

Pressure for a change mounted immediately. The Los Angeles Times published a commentary headlined "USC needs to make the right decision and say 'adios' to Lincoln Riley," while USA Today reported that USC great Keyshawn Johnson called for Riley's firing: "Time to find somebody else." Yahoo Sports columnist wrote that "nothing will change with Riley in charge" and noted students had been calling for his firing at the Coliseum more than a month ago.

The New York Times observed that Riley's message "hasn't changed. But neither have the results." Bleacher Report noted Riley reiterated he is the right person for the job despite the hot-seat buzz. The loss came three weeks after USC's signature win over then-No. 2 Ohio State at the Coliseum, after which Riley read a message proclaiming himself the right man for the job, only for the team to lose at Wisconsin during its bye week and now at Indiana.