College football writer buries Lincoln Riley: not ‘as good as his record indicates’

It’s hot-take season, and one writer thinks Lincoln Riley is overrated. It’s weird: #USC *exceeded expectations* in 2022.

As someone who has written about college football for over 20 years, I know enough about the job to realize that sometimes, an editor will ask a columnist or staff writer to write a piece which stirs the drink and gets people to react. I don’t know if this is what happened at Mike Farrell Sports, but it’s certainly possible. Therefore, as you read the following article by Kyle Golik at Mike Farrell Sports, realize that this might not be the writer’s own idea so much as the game plan his “coach” wanted him to execute.

USC fans would certainly say the game plan wasn’t the best one ever conceived, or at least, that it wasn’t implemented as well as it could be.

Golik collected a list of five coaches who aren’t as good as their records indicate. That’s a genuinely interesting topic, perfect for summer talking season right before the start of August camp.

Including Lincoln Riley on that list? Not good. Not smart.

Let’s go inside the details of this column and pick them apart: