Lincoln Riley couldn’t help himself.
The beleaguered USC coach had been so measured, so calm, so restrained in his interplay with reporters after this monumental triumph when he had every proper not to be.
Then came a last query about a pathway current to the College Football Playoff and the Trojans having a likelihood to do what they had wished coming into this pivotal season.
That’s when Riley made like Mark Bowman on the third-quarter play in which the tight finish spectacularly hurdled an Ohio State defender and broke a number of tackles during the Trojans’ 30-18 victory over the second-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday evening at the Coliseum.
Given an opening, there was no stopping Riley now.
“Say that louder for the people in the back,” Riley said, attempting to be cute about making sure that everyone could hear. “Yeah – hell yeah it does. Again, I keep saying, look at all the craziness across the country. The teams that just hang in there, keep going, get better, stay together are going to be the ones that are there in the end, so that’s the nature of it.”
Riley wasn’t finished. Far from it.
When a group publicist thanked Riley, quarterback Jayden Maiava and defensive deal with Alex VanSumeren – in essence excusing them to depart – Riley pulled out a piece of paper with ready notes.
“I’ve got one other thing I want to say here,” Riley said, glancing at the paper. “I just took a second, I wanted to make sure I articulated my thoughts.”
Oh, this should be fascinating.
“This program is built on internal joy, not external applause,” Riley continued after initially stumbling over his phrases. “This win’s for all the workers members, the gamers, the leaders, the admin, all the people within the partitions. I said before this recreation that I’m the proper particular person for this job and as long as all those people know that, that’s all I care about.
“I appreciate being a part of this university and all it does and I appreciate our kids and our staff and I’m going to continue to Fight On because that’s what being a Trojan is all about.”
And with that, Riley got up to depart.
The rapid takeaway?
This wasn’t a coach expressing gratitude as much as someone campaigning to keep his job.
A more assured coach would deal with issues the manner Riley had for most of his session with reporters. Answer the questions. Remain composed. Move on.
His Trojans (7-2 general, 4-2 Big Ten) had been smarter, more bodily – just flat-out higher – than a group that had been far more of a gold customary in faculty soccer over the last few many years than the Cardinal and Gold.
When his group’s beautiful triumph was over amid a gentle mist that gave the complete factor a surreal really feel, followers stormed the area to bounce around deliriously from one objective line to the other.
Showing super restraint, Riley didn’t immediately lord any of this over reporters who had questioned him and taken shot after shot following that dreadful loss to Wisconsin last week that saddled his group with a second loss.
Then he finally gave in to his own insecurity.
The fact is, this was a victory that could change everything.
Or nothing.
As much of a monumental win as it was, it won’t imply anything if USC stumbles against Indiana or UCLA. A loss to either group would eradicate the Trojans from CFP competition and places Riley back into the same actual spot he was just a week in the past.
Those video games being on the highway should make USC followers particularly doubtful that the Trojans can win both given Riley’s repeated struggles away from the Coliseum.
But those are considerations for another day.
On Saturday, it was time to give Riley and his group a load of credit.
This was a super triumph, even if it came against a group with a backup quarterback who barely accomplished 50% of his passes, not to point out some questionable game-planning from coach Ryan Day.
From the second play from scrimmage, when USC’s Trent Mosley caught a short go and ran a long manner on a 69-yard landing, the Trojans owned the joint.
“It was huge,” Riley said. “You grab momentum right away, the crowd went nuts.”
They stored going loopy as the Trojans stored building their lead and the Buckeyes stored getting held to area targets.
A USC protection that has been maligned for months held firm after Ohio State had first and objective with only inches to go, limiting the Buckeyes to another area objective.
“That’s a grit play, that’s a toughness deal, a mindset thing,” VanSumeren said.
It’s also the kind of factor USC has finished far too hardly ever this season, main to official questions about grit and toughness.
Do you actually trust a group that lost to Oregon at home and Wisconsin on the highway – while also barely beating Rutgers and Washington – to win out?
If the Trojans can keep enjoying like they did Saturday, perhaps Riley’s proper.
USC could be there at the finish and enjoying in the CFP, assuring its coach of conserving his job at the place he retains saying he desires to be.
Hey, coach, we heard you. Nothing left wants to be said. Just get it finished.
Source hyperlink
