Few if any people thought this would happen before the 2024 college football season began, but at this point, we have to admit it is true and reflects reality. Yes, UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster has outcoached USC football boss Lincoln Riley in 2024. It feels jarring and disorienting to say it, but it’s true. How can it not be? UCLA has a chance to make a bowl game this season, something which didn’t seem very likely when the Bruins stumbled early and faced a daunting Big Ten schedule. USC started 2-0 this season and seemed to have a chance to achieve something. Yet, everything has spiraled for USC, all while UCLA has made steady improvements.
UCLA has done something USC has not done this season: Win a Big Ten road game. Moreover, UCLA has done so multiple times, winning at both Rutgers and Nebraska. UCLA has also beaten Iowa, all while USC has failed to beat Maryland and Minnesota. You can’t say UCLA has had an easier schedule than USC in the Big Ten, yet the Bruins and Trojans have carved out relatively similar resumes. This much is clear, too: UCLA has overperformed expectations while USC has underperformed, and it’s not even close.
There’s only one question left: Can Foster and UCLA actually beat USC and Riley later this month? That would be the ultimate humiliation for the Trojans if it happens.
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