In the 2023 season, USC Trojans ranked 119th nationally in total defense, giving up 432.8 yards per game; the rushing defense was similar, ranked 119th out of 133 teams. Of course, the team didn’t get too far with that defense and managed just 7 wins in the regular season in the Pac-12. Something needed to change, since the next challenge was not just to improve defense after Alex Grinch was fired, but also to navigate a whole new conference: the Big 10. While several candidates were considered for the task, including coaches like Tony White. Lincoln Riley stopped at then-UCLA’s defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn . Now, he has been at USC for one and a half years and has been showing tremendous impact, as shown by a powerful statement by his DT.

USC’s transition to the Big 10 was

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