Latest news with #Pac-12ChampionshipGame
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joel Klatt Hints At Major College Football Coach Being Fired If He Has Another Bad Season
Joel Klatt Hints At Major College Football Coach Being Fired If He Has Another Bad Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 college football season may bring some changes, particularly for major programs whose coaches are under pressure. Advertisement One such program is the USC Trojans, led by coach Lincoln Riley. When Riley was hired from the Oklahoma Sooners before the 2022 season, it seemed like a fantastic choice. He boasted an impressive record of 55-10 during his five seasons at Oklahoma, where he led the Sooners to four consecutive Big 12 championships and three straight appearances in the College Football Playoff. However, he took over a USC team that had struggled, winning five or fewer games in three of the previous four seasons. In his third year, Riley's team finished with a record of 7-6. Now, Joel Klatt from Fox Sports has stated on his show, "The Joel Klatt Show," that Riley's job may be at risk if he has to endure another disappointing season. USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "I personally believe Riley has come under some criticism that might not be fair," Klatt said. "But I could be wrong. Because he's going to have to win this year. You can't go 7-5 again. You just can't." Advertisement Klatt notes that last season, the Trojans started strong with a thrilling last-second victory over the LSU Tigers, which gave him hope that USC could make a legitimate run for the College Football Playoff. However, the team fell off later in the season, finishing with a disappointing season, marking Riley's worst year as head coach. Despite this, Klatt believes the Trojans demonstrated their ability to win significant games. He highlighted their bowl game victory over the Texas A&M Aggies and the fact that they pushed the Penn State Nittany Lions, who reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, into overtime. This season could be pivotal for Riley. Over his three years at the helm, the team's performance has declined each year. In his first season, USC achieved an 11-3 record and reached the Pac-12 Championship Game, but they followed that with an 8-5 season and then a 7-6 finish last year. If USC decides to part ways with Riley, his buyout is set at $90 million, which would be the highest in college football history, surpassing Jimbo Fisher's $77.5 million buyout at Texas A&M. Advertisement The Trojans will kick off their season against the Missouri State Bears at 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. Related: Paul Finebaum Calls Major College Football Coach a Fraud This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff—Brett Neilon in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 62 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC All-American center Brett Neilon. Position: Offensive line Years played at USC: 2017-2022 Career highlights: After redshirting in 2017 and serving as a backup offensive lineman in 2018, Neilon took over as the Trojans' starting center in 2019. He would not relinquish that role for the next four years. Taking advantage of his extra COVID year of eligibility in 2022, Neilon was named a first-team All-American, and was part of a USC unit that was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in the country. Perhaps the moment that Neilon is best known for came during that 2022 season on the road at Oregon State. With the Trojans trailing 14-10 late in the game, USC faced a fourth and six from its own 43 yard line. Quarterback Caleb Williams took off in pursuit of the first down, but was stopped short of the line to gain. However, salvation arrived in an unlikely form in Neilon, who came out of nowhere to push Williams past the line to gain for a first down. The Trojans would go on to score the game-winning touchdown and prevail with a 17-14 victory. The play subsequently earned the nickname, "Neilon Nudge", a play on the famous "Bush Push" 17 years prior. After USC: Sadly, a lower leg injury in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game ended Neilon's USC career prematurely. After not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft, he attended rookie minicamp with the Kansas City Chiefs last year, but did not make the team. Neilon currently works as a business analyst at Buena Vista Management, per his Linkedin page.
