Lincoln Riley Offers Solid Wisdom As USC Playoff Hype Builds

USC football playoff coach Lincoln Riley isn't worried about any outside noise.

The Trojans are off to an impressive 6-0 start. Riley has USC looking like a legit College Football Playoff contender through the first half of the season.

While the media might be interested in the future, Lincoln is only worried about the next game.

Riley told the media the following about the situation, according to On3.com:


For us in here, and for other teams that I’ve been on that have gotten to the playoff, you’ve just got to find ways to win. I know that sounds simple and obvious, but you just don’t know at this point. I think we put ourselves in the position, but I’ve I’ve seen it happen where we lose a game and all of a sudden – I heard it so many times the past several years – like we’d lose one game it’s like, oh, the playoffs are out. Everybody would be like, ‘oh, Oklahoma’s playoffs chances are over,’ and then almost every year we were in the playoffs. There’s going to be, when you’re winning, the positive noise. When you lose, everybody’s going to be like, ‘oh my gosh, playoffs are shot,’ You just, you never know how these things are going to play out, every year is different for us. ... We’ve got to control what we can and the reality is, if you take care of business on Saturdays and keep winning, all that stuff takes care of itself

Lincoln Riley is certainly saying all the right things for USC.

The Trojans are in a great position moving forward. If Lincoln Riley and company take care of business, USC will definitely get a spot in the CFP.

The Trojans play Utah this Saturday night and the only other ranked team on the schedule is #11 UCLA.

Other than those two games, USC should be big favorites in the other four remaining PAC-12 matchups.

If the team remains focused and wins one game at a time, there is a very high chance the team can win the conference and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Even with a loss to Utah or UCLA, their hopes aren't completely dead. The situation just gets much tougher, which Riley seems very aware of.

At the end of the day, you simply have to take care of business with whatever is directly in front of you. Riley knows it, the USC players know it and so do the fans. Next up is the Utes, and the picture will start shaping up once USC gets through that game. If Lincoln Riley blows out Utah on the road, the hype surrounding the Trojans will be off the charts.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.