Lincoln Riley definitely altered the culture in and around USC football in 2022. Yet, for all the transformations he created, the larger process of cultural change was not instant or total. Riley did not solve everything in one year, which is part of a reality in which the Trojans lost twice to Utah and failed to win the Pac-12 title, and then stumbled in the Cotton Bowl against Tulane.
Tremendous growth and development occurred, but as good as the 2022 season was, it didn’t represent a full growth cycle. Some pieces of the puzzle weren’t found by the time the season ended.
None of this is a criticism. It merely shows how hard it is to get everything right as a coach in one season. Realistically, some aspects of culture-building require a second year. That’s the outlook for USC as Year 2 of the Riley era begins.
Riley, in an interview with Oregon-based journalist and talk-show host John Canzano, said something very revealing about the 2022 team.
“A lot of last year was about convincing our guys what was possible,” Riley said. He noted that portions of the roster were “surprised” by the success of the team. This is the difference between expecting to be great and hoping to be great. Part of the 2022 roster merely hoped to be great but didn’t truly carry an expectation of greatness through the season.
This year, everyone should have the full and instant expectation to be great, and nothing less. The project of culture change continues for Lincoln Riley at USC.
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