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ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum believes USC’s late-season surge has gone largely unnoticed, even as the No. 17 Trojans fight to stay in the College Football Playoff race.
While on “The Matt Barrie Show,” Finebaum said USC’s strong 7-2 season under Lincoln Riley has been overshadowed by the crowded Los Angeles sports landscape.
“It doesn’t really matter to me if USC ever plays another football game,” Finebaum said. “The bottom line is, they are forgotten about, and I’m sure Lincoln Riley is getting that memo. He’s done a pretty good job this year.”
Finebaum pointed to the success all around LA right now and nobody is jumping at USC. He added that the program has historically been a central part of L.A. sports culture when winning big, but that “isn’t the current situation,” raising the possibility that Riley could look elsewhere, especially in with the current coaching carousel heating up.
On the field, USC has played its way back into contention. The Trojans rank second nationally in total offense at 503.2 yards per game and seventh in scoring at 39.6 points. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for 2,614 yards and 17 touchdowns, with an offense powered by running back King Miller and receiver Makai Lemon.
With a pivotal home matchup against No. 21 Iowa on Saturday and road trips to Oregon and UCLA on the horizon, USC still controls its path to the playoff and potentially its relevance in its own city with the Hollywood backdrop.
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