In case you missed it, ESPN's Paul Finebaum had some very harsh criticism over the job head coach Lincoln Riley has done so far at USC, calling his two years there a "disaster," and claiming the Big Ten will "eat him up."
Finebaum believes Riley ran from the job at Oklahoma so he didn't have to deal with the SEC, and has shown little ability to field a competent defense anywhere he has gone. If he can't get a defense to travel this season after firing coordinator Alex Grinch, then how are the Trojans going to compete in a Big Ten conference that has had some of the best defenses in the country over the last couple of years?
But not so fast.
Riley has a defender and one you may not have seen coming. Shock sports jock Mad Dog Russo went a few verbal rounds after the SEC's mouthpiece while Finebaum was making the rounds at SEC media days, claiming winning a Heisman Trophy is an accomplishment at a place like USC.
"He (Riley) didn't take over a good program, they were terrible. What was their record before he got there -- did they lose five games, four games? ... He won a Heisman Trophy, at a place where they win Heismans -- with Marcus Allen and Charles White, and Simpson -- Carson Palmer. Hold on now, you talk about a Heisman Trophy at USC, that means everything, Caron Palmer, Leinhart, Reggie Bush, Simpson, they love Heisman Trophies, and he brought a Heisman Trophy there. That counts. That counts."
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo argues with Paul Finebaum, insisting Lincoln Riley has been a success at USC because Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 17, 2024
"He won a Heisman Trophy! At a place where they win Heisman Trophies!... You talk about a Heisman Trophy at USC, that means… pic.twitter.com/GUQjqO7Wjz
Russo was clearly fired up and barely let Finebaum get a word in edge-wise when he tried to argue with him about results on the field. I don't know that we agree with Russo's assessment of the job Riley has done so far, but we have to give him credit for silencing Finebaum because not everyone can pull that off.