Nick Saban Wants to STOP the Big Ten-SEC Merger + Lincoln Riley Should be on the Hot Seat

Penn State football has a major Big Ten storyline to watch with USC, Lincoln Riley, and the pressure building around the Trojans entering the 2026 season. Zach Seyko and Jacob Goins discuss whether Lincoln Riley is truly on the hot seat, why USC’s schedule creates pressure, and why Penn State’s matchup with the Trojans at Beaver Stadium could be one of the most important games on the Big Ten calendar. The conversation also gets into Nick Saban’s comments before Congress, the Save College Sports Act, NIL, the transfer portal, Big Ten vs SEC power, Indiana’s rise, and whether college football’s old power structure is pushing back now that the sport has more balance. Penn State fans should especially watch how USC handles Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Indiana, and the trip to State College. This matters now because Penn State’s playoff path is tied directly to Big Ten positioning. If USC is not the team people expected Lincoln Riley to build, Penn State has a chance to make a statement and change the conversation around both programs. Drop your take in the comments: is USC still a real Big Ten contender, or can Penn State expose Lincoln Riley’s biggest problem? Become an every-dayer! Subscribe to Locked On Nittany Lions on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lockedonnittanylions?sub_confirmation=1 Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LONittanyLions?sid=YouTube Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege Follow the show on X!https://x.com/LockedOnNittanyhttps://x.com/zach_seyko #lockedonnittanylions #pennstate #nittanylions #pennstatefootball #collegefootball #bigtenfootball #ncaafootball #lockedon #weare #football 0:00 Nick Saban, Congress, and College Football’s New Era 0:45 Why Big Ten Balance Changed the Conversation 2:18 NIL, Alabama, and the Old SEC Advantage 3:29 Big Ten vs SEC Control of College Football 4:51 Should Congress Regulate College Sports? 6:21 Natural Balance vs Forced Balance in College Football 7:10 Did Indiana’s Rise Spark the Panic? 8:07 Lincoln Riley and USC Hot Seat Talk 9:39 USC Expectations vs the 8.5 Win Total 10:45 Why USC Fans Are Split on Lincoln Riley 11:45 USC’s Big Ten Schedule Pressure 12:10 Penn State vs USC at Beaver Stadium 13:08 The Six-Game Stretch That Defines USC 14:14 Should Lincoln Riley Leave USC for Texas Tech? 15:29 Why Oklahoma May Have Been Better for Riley 16:22 Final Thoughts on Lincoln Riley and Nick Saban Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.