Lincoln Riley rolled into L.A. back in 2021, armed with a $110 million deal and a playbook that once made defensive coordinators lose sleep. Cali folks thought he’d stack natties. Instead, the last three seasons went from shiny to dusty real quick — 11–3, 8–5, and then a grimy 7–6 in USC’s Big Ten debut. For an HC built up as the “West Coast savior,” that’s borderline embarrassing. But you can’t totally pin it all on him, though, when Miller Moss was tossing 9 picks before even hitting Week 9. Riley’s offense has always thrived with tier-1 quarterbacks, and last year, that simply wasn’t the case. Now, it’s Jayden Maiava’s turn as a starter. And Lincoln Riley has made his expectations clear.

By mid-season 2024, the Coliseum vibes were darker than a Quentin Tarantino flick. Miller Moss was under center, USC was 4–5, and fans were one more pick away from turning the torch on Riley. Then, out of nowhere, Jayden Maiava strolled in. The UNLV transfer wasn’t polished — far from it — but he made football a bit more interesting. He was slinging bombs, breaking ankles, and somehow keeping USC’s pulse alive. It was chaotic, but in L.A., chaos sells.

And here’s the kicker: Riley doubled down on Maiava as QB1. On the Trojans Live podcast, he couldn’t stop gushing over the kid when asked about the expectation. “It’s honestly tough to narrow it down to one,” Riley said, pointing to Maiava’s growth in decision-making and situational awareness. “He’s not just out there trying to run plays anymore… he has a much different understanding than he did a year ago… when to take chances, when not to. It’s been pretty high-level quarterback play.” Riley believes the wild stallion’s finally learning how to stay in the lane.

But USC fans know the flaws too well. Maiava’s biggest problem? He sometimes thinks he’s playing Madden on rookie mode. 3 picks and a reckless lateral in the Las Vegas Bowl had folks side-eyeing his football IQ. Riley knows the deal — he’s not asking Maiava to be perfect, but he’s demanding smarter choices. Take a sack, throw it away, live to fight another down.

Still, you can’t ignore the upside. In just four starts, Maiava threw for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus four scores with his legs. His debut against Nebraska — 259 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a rushing score. It’s the exact kind of gamble Riley has to make: ride the hot hand, coach up the rough edges, and hope the kid blossoms before the fanbase completely turns.

And that’s where Riley’s rep comes in. The man’s résumé screams quarterback whisperer — Baker, Kyler, Caleb — all molded under his watch. He even made throwing QB out of Jalen Hurts and turned him into a Heisman runner-up. If anyone can drag Maiava’s gunslinger instincts into consistency, it’s Riley. But in 2025, it’s not about potential. It’s about production. USC fans are done with hype videos and empty promises. Now, they want wins.

Chad Bowden backs his boss against hot-seat talk

Make no mistake — this season isn’t just about Jayden Maiava. It’s about Lincoln Riley keeping his gig. After USC’s 7–6 stumble in 2024, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum flat-out said, “I would have fired him last year if I didn’t have to eat an $80 million buyout.” Well, guess what? That buyout just ballooned to $90 million. Riley’s seat might be scorching, but it’s wrapped in platinum padding.

Enter Chad Bowden, USC’s new GM, sliding into the mix this January like a fresh set of jumper cables. Bowden isn’t buying the hot-seat narrative. On Big Ten Football with Ashley Adamson and Yogi Roth, he said, “It’s only a matter of time until it gets back. And I think it’s so close… people don’t understand how close we really are.” He wasn’t here last season, but he made it clear: USC was inches, not miles, away from turning 6 losses into wins. And honestly? He’s not lying — five of those six L’s came down to the fourth quarter.

Bowden’s banking on the offseason upgrades. Trumain Carroll revamped the strength program, and Rob Ryan added veteran eyes on defense. Chip Patterson even vouched for Riley, saying this is the first time since landing in L.A. that Riley “feels like he’s really been able to get back to coaching ball.” That’s not nothing.

The 2025 schedule doesn’t exactly hand USC a soft landing — Notre Dame, Oregon, plus a Big Ten slate stacked with haymakers. Still, Bowden’s energy is infectious. He’s backing Riley like a hype man, betting this team can finish 10–2 if the breaks finally bounce their way. “I’m hoping some of the changes done this offseason push this thing over the edge,” Bowden said.