Paul Finebaum bashes former OU football coach Lincoln Riley after back-to-back USC losses
Former Oklahoma football coach Lincoln Riley has lost consecutive games with USC after sneaking past Arizona with a two-point win in double-overtime. As a result, ESPN's Paul Finebaum has lost all confidence in the Trojans.
Riley has been the center of national attention with the Trojans' struggles, as his offense is led by quarterback Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. USC's defense has also been a talking point, as it ranks 104th among qualified FBS teams in total defense this season.
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“To look at Lincoln Riley after the game, that frat boy smirk? I mean c’mon. Your credibility has been shot too,” Finebaum said Sunday on "The Matt Barrie Show." “You’ve got a good program, you’re a good coach, you’re going to the Big Ten, and your problems remain the same.”
The Trojans (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12) fell to No. 22 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after the loss to Utah, where they took a 32-31 lead with under two minutes remaining on an 11-yard touchdown run by Williams. However, the Utes drove down the field and kicked a 38-yard game-winning field goal to take the win.
Following the loss, Riley didn't allow players to be interviewed by the media. Earlier this season, Riley also suspended a USC beat reporter for "violating" the Trojans' media policy. Finebaum added USC looks like counterfeit football program after being the center of attention all offseason following an 11-3 finish in Riley's first season in Los Angeles.
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“I was concerned maybe about four weeks ago,” said Finebaum. “I sat here with you, they looked like a fraud, and I thought, ‘Did I just stick my foot in my mouth?’ No. What we’ve seen the last two weeks has been building.”
Meanwhile, the No. 6 Sooners (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) are undefeated in coach Brent Venables' second season and have a Heisman candidate of their own in quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ESPN's Paul Finebaum bashes former OU football coach Lincoln Riley
