The No. 18 USC Trojans would’ve helped their College Football Playoff chances if they could take down No. 9 Indiana on the road Saturday, but they were unable to muster second-half points in a 27-13 defeat.
Now, one Trojan legend is calling for head coach Lincoln Riley to be fired.
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Keyshawn Johnson, the former wide receiver who went on to become a Super Bowl winner and three-time Pro Bowler in the NFL, posted a video on X where he was very frustrated with the result in Bloomington.
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USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a play during the game between the USC Trojans and the San Jose State Spartans on Aug. 29, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. (Icon Sportswire)
“I tried my best, but in all honesty, though, it’s time to – you know what I mean? It’s just time to find somebody else,” he said in the video.
“I’m sorry, man. I don’t even know what to say. Where did we go wrong here? It’s unbelievable. I just don’t even know what to say.”
INDIANA HOOSIERS BOOST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF HOPES WITH 27-13 WIN OVER USC TROJANS
Johnson added, “Fight On, I guess,” but he isn’t in the biggest of USC spirits after the loss.
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Things were going well in the game, as the Trojans and Hoosiers were tied at 10 apiece entering halftime. However, USC had just three points in the second half, while Indiana found their way to run away with it at home.
Riley and the Trojans were riding high after taking down Ohio State earlier this season, which propelled them upward in the CFP standings. They had the opportunity to continue moving up if they could pick up key wins along the way.
Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 31, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
But this loss, which moved USC to 7-3 on the season, essentially knocks them out of contention for the CFP.
With yet another three-loss season at this point for Riley, the chatter will grow about his future with the program. In fact, it was already present before the Ohio State game began to change the conversation. That 30-18 victory at home had Trojans fans believing a late-season run could get them in position to get a chance to fight for a national title.
After Indiana, USC is set to face unranked Maryland, but they would’ve seen No. 4 UCLA in their final regular-season matchup, which had the chance to be a gamechanger.
USC alum Keyshawn Johnson attends a game between Southern California and Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 14, 2023, in South Bend, Ind. (Getty Images)
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Instead, USC is looking to finish the year strong now, and Riley, who was hired in November 2021, could be coaching his final games as the Trojans look ahead to next season.
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