AI-assisted summary

USC and coach Lincoln Riley face a critical stretch of their season with upcoming games against Michigan and Notre Dame.

One of college football's highest-paid coaches, Riley has a 4-11 record against ranked opponents at USC.

The upcoming slate could determine the team's postseason fate and shape the narrative of Riley's tenure in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — As the cooling fall temperatures start making their way in The Golden State, the heat is turning up in the city of angels.

After starting the season with a modest schedule that led to a massive gut punch in a last-second loss to Illinois , Southern California enters a pivotal stretch of the year.

Hosting Michigan in a Big Ten battle of college football blue bloods. Then the trip to South Bend, Indiana,

See Full Page