Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach He Has A 'Hard Time Buying In'

Every year, when new coaches are brought in to revitalize a program, there is usually a lot of hype. The USC Trojans found themselves in that position in 2022 when they made what many considered a home run hire in Lincoln Riley.

Riley was previously the head coach at the University of Oklahoma. During his five seasons, he achieved a record of 55-10, won four conference championships, led the team to three College Football Playoff appearances and contributed to the team's two Heisman Trophy wins. His first year at USC was successful with an 11-3 record, marking the team's best performance since 2017. Additionally, quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy.

The following season, Williams returned, but the Trojans had a record of 8-5, with two wins and five losses in the last seven games, despite being preseason ranked No. 6. Currently, the Trojans have a 3-2 record, making Riley 5-7 in his last 12 games.

On the "Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst believes it's too early for Riley to be on the hot seat, but he's had difficulty believing in Riley as a head coach.

"It's a little early," Finebaum said. "I've been fairly critical of him because I think I have a hard time buying in. But, with two losses already, they're on the brink, and their schedule is pretty difficult the rest of the way."

The Trojans still have games against two top-11 teams this season. One of those is this weekend against the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions, and the other is the season's final game against the No. 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. However, these two games and their other toughest games will be played at home for the rest of the season.

However, Riley needs to figure out the Trojans issues before things escalate and his seat starts to heat up.

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