The USC Trojans are currently 4-4 in 2024, coming off an 8-5 season with superstar college quarterback Caleb Williams. It's time to ask: Is Lincoln Riley a good coach just because he had quarterbacks and is a product of the school and the name?

Lincoln Riley has a 78-22 record as a head coach at Oklahoma and USC. Coach Riley never had to work his way through being a smaller school head coach before getting his chance to be a Power 5, now Power 4 head coach. After a year as Power 5 offensive coordinator, he was given the keys to leading the Oklahoma program at the young age of 34.

Oklahoma, already a big name in college football, is already receiving top-notch recruits and received its next two quarterbacks to run the show in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Both quarterbacks went on to win the Heisman and were No. 1 overall draft picks.

Then Riley brought in Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts to come and run his team for him. That's a strong run with three QBs to start your first-ever head coaching job. Next came Spencer Rattler, now starting for the New Orleans Saints while Derek Carr is injured, and then prodigal son Caleb Williams.

Caleb followed Coach Riley to USC to bring the prestige of Trojan football back to the country and Los Angeles. Caleb Williams' play certainly brought excitement, but the entire team couldn't get it done.

Coach Riley at Oklahoma had a 54-10 record under some great quarterbacks. Coach Riley had a 19-8 record at USC under Caleb Williams. Now he's without a star quarterback and is 4-4, and the question is whether his teams are good because of him or because of the lucky string of quarterbacks he's had.

It's time to bring Coach Carroll back to USC. College football's trend of appointing head coaches of 30-year-olds is hurting college football and the development of these players. The NIL and College Football Playoff system has now made it easier to be more competitive than ever before, and these programs need someone who is established, creates culture and connects with the business side of college football.

There was nothing more exciting than the Trojans teams of the 2000s, and that's what college football needs again. Exciting teams, different styles, teams with one brand and that's what Pete Carroll did with USC and the Seattle Seahawks. Coach Carroll says there is still interest in coaching again and he is as competitive as ever. USC needs a spark other than a flashy QB coach disguised as a head coach.

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