As USC improved to 8-2 with a rain-soaked win over Iowa (26-21), Lincoln Riley faced a familiar wave of criticism that began to rise again around the Big Ten. With false narratives starting to spread, the Trojans’ head coach made it clear he wasn’t letting them go unanswered.

Those renewed doubts trace back to 2023, when Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz publicly questioned USC’s defense and Riley’s offensive approach. Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz mocked the Trojans’ “widely acclaimed” nonexistent defense. “I’m really not worried about points per game,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But what is important is wins per game. I think there’s a guy who entered the conference recently who came with widely acclaimed offensive stats and all that. That’s usually how those guys become well known because of

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