Lincoln Riley shuts down USC exit speculation as pressure builds: 'I believe in this place'

As pressure mounts on Lincoln Riley in his fifth year at USC, there are questions about his long-term future in Los Angeles. Despite that, Riley says he's committed to the Trojans.

Coming off an ugly loss to Wisconsin, USC is 6-2 with its College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Things won't get any easier this weekend with No. 2 Ohio State coming to town. If the Trojans lose to another backup quarterback in Big Ten play, the temperature of Riley's seat will climb.

With three Power Four jobs already open -- and more on the way over the next month -- could Riley look for an exit at USC? Riley said he's happy in LA and made sure to point out that he left another major program to coach the Trojans.

"I love it here," Riley said. "I've told you guys many times. There's not many people in college football history who gave up what I gave up to come here. I don't care if it's 15 years down the line. That should never be taken lightly, and it's not taken lightly by me. I came here because this is where I wanted to be. I came here because I believe in this place, and none of that has changed whatsoever."

In some ways, Riley's perspective can be understood. He had a good setup at Oklahoma, where he was reaching the College Football Playoff regularly, and had the resources to compete with other top programs.

On the other hand, fans probably don't want to hear some version of "look what I left behind to come here" when the Trojans have zero ranked wins, and their two losses came against a trainwreck of an Oregon team and unranked Wisconsin.

Asked about the pressure that comes with coaching at a blue-blood program, Riley couldn't remember the last time he coached a team without high expectations. He pointed to his first year coaching the Sooners as an example of how fan sentiment can change on a dime.

"Every single year I've went in with high standards and championship expectations," Riley said. "The first loss I had at Oklahoma, I didn't think I was gonna be able to get out of bed the next morning. On top of that, there were people trying to run me out of town right away.

"I learned a lesson pretty quick that the highs and lows of this thing, if you let those get to you, then you're not the right person for the job."

Riley hasn't done himself many favors at USC. In fact, he's gotten a fair amount of patience at a school with a rich history of winning big. After winning 11 games in his first year on the job, Riley hasn't reached double-digit wins since then and hasn't come close to reaching the College Football Playoff.

The noise around Riley isn't quieted by the fact that his boss, athletic director Jennifer Cohen, isn't the person who hired him. Asked about his relationship with Cohen, Riley described it as "fantastic" and said Cohen has done a great job supporting the football program.

"She's a tremendous AD," Riley said. "Even though she's not the AD I came here with -- and I'm not the coach she hired -- we have a fantastic relationship. She's been a huge part of all the progress we've made and has been incredibly supportive."

Riley has a prime opportunity to silence some critics and cool down his seat this weekend. If USC can take down the second-ranked Buckeyes, its College Football Playoff path will widen, and Riley will have a much-needed signature win.

If the Trojans miss the mark in another big game, however, Riley will only face more questions like these when he takes the podium.

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