USC FOOTBALL: Lincoln Riley MUST WIN Now or it is OVER?

USC Trojans face a pivotal season as Lincoln Riley’s high-powered squad enters a must-win window—will anything short of a Big Ten Championship end his tenure? With quarterback Jayden Maiava leading an offense supported by a returning line and standout recruit Mark Bowman at tight end, expectations are sky-high. Yet questions swirl around replacing NFL-bound receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Koby Lane, and whether Gary Patterson can transform USC’s leaky defense against elite Big Ten foes. Craig Shemon breaks down USC’s revamped roster, spotlighting the high-stakes showdown against Oregon that could define their playoff fate. The episode covers the pressure from Indiana’s quick rise under Curt Cignetti, the implications of canceling the Notre Dame rivalry, and the significance of USC’s No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class. Key matchups, conference dynamics, and early betting lines for UCLA, Wisconsin-Notre Dame, and Ohio State-Texas frame the race for the Big Ten crown. Can Riley finally deliver the trophy USC boosters demand? Twitter/X:  https://twitter.com/talkbig10 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkbig10 Website & Merch: https://talkbig10.com   Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…  🎧  https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-big-10/   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) #collegefootball  #uscfootball #lincolnriley #usctrojans #fighton Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.