Lincoln Riley's Updated Contract Buyout After Jayden Maiava, USC's Upset Loss vs. Wisconsin

Two sources (247Sports' Matt Zenitz and ESPN's Paul Finebaum ) reported earlier this fall that the buyout on USC football head coach Lincoln Riley's 10-year, $110 million contract is worth $70 million.

That figure comes to mind in the wake of No. 16 USC football's 24-7 road loss to unranked Wisconsin on Saturday.

USC started the year as a potential College Football Playoff candidate, but the road to get there is treacherous now.

Unranked Teams Cause Chaos in Rankings 📊

A home date with No. 3 Ohio State looms before the Trojans visit No. 6 Indiana. USC should be a big favorite over 2-5 (0-4 Big Ten) Maryland, but the annual matchup with crosstown rival UCLA ends the regular season.

The Bruins are undefeated at 7-0 and ranked ninth in the AP poll but will rise a few spots after a few upsets ahead of them.

If the chalk holds, 6-2 USC is finishing the year at 7-5 in head coach Lincoln Riley's fifth season at the helm. Riley arrived in town in 2022 with great fanfare after great success at Oklahoma, and his first season went well (11-3, Cotton Bowl appearance, 12th in the final AP poll).

His last three-plus seasons have not for the most part. USC went 15-11 over the 2023 and 2024 seasons and did not make the final AP poll.

The Trojans were better in 2025 (9-4) and finished 20th in the poll, but now this year's team might be regressing. Of note, they nearly lost to a 2-6 Rutgers team before prevailing 42-35. No. 20 Oregon also beat USC 41-27 in Los Angeles.

USC does have five other wins, but those teams rank as follows in the Sagarin ratings : 122nd (San Jose State), 82nd (Fresno State), 83rd (Louisiana), 41st (Washington) and 36th (Penn State).

The Wisconsin game is simply a bad loss. USC had minus-17 rushing yards while allowing the Badgers to scamper for 142 yards and two scores on the ground. Wisconsin also won while accounting for just 58 passing yards.

Ultimately, the program seems to be going in the wrong direction, even with a talented and capable quarterback at the helm in Jayden Maiava, whose 3,711 passing yards led the Big Ten in 2025.

USC doesn't have much time to bounce back, as OSU now rolls into town on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET.