USC will kick off its 2024 season with some of the extremely anticipated video games of the yr, and head coach Lincoln Riley reportedly tried to nix it.
In response to Matt Hayes of Saturday Down South, USC has made quite a few makes an attempt over the previous two years to search out out a means out of their upcoming recreation towards LSU, which is able to happen at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 1. The first purpose for that’s that Riley didn’t need the sport.
USC tried a number of angles to get out of the sport, Hayes says. Fox Sports activities even tried to help the Trojans at one level, because the community will not be thrilled about USC’s first recreation as a member of the Huge Ten being broadcast on ABC/ESPN.
Riley additionally sought assist from his personal agent, Hint Armstrong. LSU head coach Brian Kelly can also be represented by Armstrong, so Riley reportedly requested Armstrong to attempt to persuade Kelly to get on board with the thought of taking away the massive Week 1 recreation.
None of it labored, with a supply telling Saturday Down South that Riley and the Trojans “weren’t getting out of the sport.”
The USC-LSU recreation will likely be held on a Sunday evening. It is not going to have any competitors from different marquee video games. The sport was scheduled in August 2021, which was 4 months earlier than Riley took the USC job. USC is shifting to the Huge Ten this season and has a tough schedule that features street video games towards Michigan and Washington, dwelling video games towards Wisconsin and Penn State, and an annual rivalry recreation towards Notre Dame.
With the Faculty Soccer Playoff increasing to 12 groups subsequent season, Riley most likely feels USC has a greater likelihood of getting in if they start the season with a neater opponent. After all, a win over LSU would instantly strengthen USC’s resume. Riley is simply going to have to point out he deserves that jaw-dropping sum of cash he earned in his first yr with the Trojans.
