USC vs. Oregon: Trojans’ Lincoln Riley embraces playoff pressure

Before taking the reins at USC, Lincoln Riley had a reputation as a traveling warrior. It wasn’t until his third season at Oklahoma that Riley’s team lost a real road game with him as head coach. During five years with the Sooners, he won 17 of 21 on the road.

But four years into his tenure as the Trojans’ coach, Riley’s once stellar reputation on the road feels like a relic from a past life. Until USC won at Nebraska earlier this month, Riley hadn’t beaten a road team that finished better than .500 since November 2022, when his Trojans toppled UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Otherwise, outside of Los Angeles, USC’s only road win against a quality Riley-led team came against Oregon State…in his fourth game at the helm of the Trojans.

Never have the stakes been higher for Riley than this week, as No. 15 USC heads to No. 8 Oregon with its College Football Playoff hopes resting on a huge road win. Still, it’s hard to ignore how much different Riley’s Trojans looked when faced away from home.

USC has been the best offense in college football inside the Coliseum. But in four road games, USC is averaging 18 fewer points and two fewer yards per offensive attempt. His red zone touchdown rate drops 25%, while his third-down conversion rate drops 16% on the road. Simply put, by all accounts, Riley’s offense has been much worse on the road this season.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava throws a pass during a win over Iowa on Nov. 15 at the Coliseum.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

This disparity starts at quarterback. At home, Jayden Maiava has been one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football this season. The junior completed 74 percent of his passes at home and averaged 10.7 yards per attempt at the Coliseum, both ranking in the top 10 in the country. He’s thrown 18 total touchdowns to just two turnovers at home, while his quarterback rating puts him in the rarefied air of Heisman contenders such as Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.

However, this version of Maiava has not yet hit the road. In five true road games as the Trojans’ starting quarterback, Maiava completed fewer than 57 percent of his passes. His average yards per attempt dropped by almost three yards. He committed more turnovers and was sacked more often.

USC can’t afford for that to be the case on Saturday if it hopes to keep its playoff hopes alive. But even though recent history might be against his Trojans, Riley reminded this week that he’s not new to such fights in late November.

“It’s what I’m used to, man,” RIley said. “It’s good to be here again, without a doubt.

“…It’s my favorite time of year.”

Here’s what to watch as USC takes on Oregon on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PST (CBS, Paramount+):