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Southern California coach Lincoln Riley blamed Notre Dame for why the historic rivalry between the two teams has paused, adding the Fighting Irish didn't keep to their word.

USC and Notre Dame announced on Dec. 22 their rivalry would not continue after they couldn't come to terms on the future of the series that has been played 96 times since 1926. A week after the news, Riley was asked at a press conference on Monday, Dec. 29 ahead of the Alamo Bowl about what led to the halt of the rivalry game, and he pointed to Notre Dame as the reason.

Riley said both sides worked for months to continue the series and recently, USC athletics director Jen Cohen offered a proposal that would extend the game for two more years and Notre Dame rejected it.

"We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us anytime, anywhere," Riley said.

The Trojans coach added five minutes after the offer was rejected, Notre Dame announced a home-and-home series with Brigham Young that effectively ended any chance of the rivalry continuing. He said "that might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history."

The main blocking point in the future of the game centered on the scheduling. Traditionally, it took place at Notre Dame in mid-October in odd years, and in even years, occurred in Los Angeles in November. The recent deal for the series ended with the 2025 game. The belief was USC wanted the game to be played earlier in the schedule to avoid it being in the middle of conference play.

"Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing in the next two years, and looking ahead after that and hopefully, continuing the series," Riley said. "They did not follow through on it. Thus, we are not playing them the next couple years."

Riley has stated several times he has great respect for Notre Dame and the rivalry and wanted to keep it going. Since Riley took over at USC in 2022, Notre Dame has won three of the four meetings, including three consecutive victories. He said he's hopeful something can be worked out in the future and "we at SC would love for the game to continue, and we have no problem following through on our promises in the future."

After it was announced the rivalry would be paused, both schools said in a joint statement they "look forward to meeting again in the future."

Notre Dame leads the all-time series 51–37–5.

Give Lincoln Riley credit; he knows his audience. He knows that all he had to do was offer some defense for canceling the longest-running rivalry series in the game, and the easily misled USC faithful would echo it as fact. However, if someone really listens to what Riley said, it belies his true intention, which was always to kill the rivalry at some point.

"With a scenario and a proposal that would extend the series for the next two years. We took Notre Dame at their word that they would play us any time, anywhere. That proposal was rejected."

It's been known for some time now that USC wanted to stage a Week 0 contest against Notre Dame, while the Irish wanted the traditional November matchup. It's clear from Riley's comments that's what they pitched again last week. There's a problem with the Week 0 thing. A poison pill, really.

Why Lincoln Riley pointing at Notre Dame Fighting Irish doesn’t add up

No team can just decide to schedule a Week 0 game. There are particular rules. That game has to be either played outside the United States, or a team scheduling Week 0 has to have Hawaii on the schedule. This is a way to recoup the cost of going to the Islands for a game.

It's certainly possible that the NCAA would have granted a waiver for USC and Notre Dame to play in Week 0. However, it's likely it wouldn't. The NCAA might have rightfully said, "why can't you schedule it on a regular week?" That's the beauty of this for USC. If the NCAA turns down the waiver, the Trojans get to say, "See, the NCAA didn't let us do it, it's not our fault!"

Instead, the Irish said no to Week 0. Perhaps because they knew this was Lincoln Riley and AD Jen Cohen's plan all along. Blame someone else, anyone else, for the cancellation while being ready to nuke it.

Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua saw this plan coming from a mile away and set up a backup for the next two years in BYU. Riley was angry about that, too. "Five minutes after we got the call, it was announced that they had scheduled another opponent, which I'll give them credit. That might be the fastest scheduling act in college football history."

Yes, Lincoln, because the Irish knew you weren't really trying to get a deal done and didn't want to be left holding the bag. The idea that ND was always planning to back out is nonsense. They had another school willing to take USC's spot in the schedule if the deal fell apart. Once it did, Bevacqua pulled the rip cord.

But the real clue that Riley and Cohen never really wanted to keep this rivalry going was right out there in the open. "Had Notre Dame lived up to their word and played us anytime, anywhere, we would be playing in the next two years and looking ahead after that and hopefully continuing the series."

Two years?! So the Irish had to totally capitulate and in return they get no guarantee of even continuing the rivalry for more than two years?

I'm sure the USC coach thought he sounded like the calm and rational one with that comment. Instead, he made it very clear the rivalry with Notre Dame was only continuing if the Trojans got exactly what they wanted. Even then, it might come to an end after 2027.

Lincoln Riley has demonstrated his cowardice when it comes to continuing to play Notre Dame for quite a while now. Marcus Freeman has tried to call his bluff. But if USC was dead set on killing the rivalry in the near future, the Irish were right to just pull the bandaid off and move on.

Ugly doesn't even begin to describe the Clemson football win over No. 20 Louisville on Friday night. The Tigers essentially did everything possible to lose that contest, but luck was on their side and the Cardinals collapsed late.

No one was more relieved about that than Dabo Swinney, but offensive coordinator Garrett Riley had to be thrilled too. Plain and simple, fans have not been happy with him and they would have been ready to light him up online had Clemson fallen to 4-6.

Well, leave it to former standout Clemson tight end Jordan Leggett to showcase some anger that many of you out there were feeling. During the action, Leggett was watching things like the rest of us and he simply could not believe some of the decisions Riley was making with his play-calling:

Former Clemson star Jordan Leggett was not happy with Garrett Riley and his play-calling

It's hard to argue with Leggett here, as he appears to specifically signal out the goal-line calls for defensive tackle Peter Woods. On 3rd down, Woods got the carry and he fumbled. Okay, no big deal, let's either kick a field goal or run a different play on 4th down.

Instead, Clemson went BACK to Woods. No points, and a turnover on downs was posted. Are you freaking kidding us? Woods wasn't even ready for the ball on 4th down and the ball hit the turf. It was beyond embarrassing and Clemson fans, including Leggett, were livid.

A quick look on social media shows that Leggett wasn't the only one to blast Riley, as Clemson supporters everywhere are losing patience with him and fast. Clemson is now 5-5 on the year and with a win against Furman next week, this team will go bowling once again.

However, a 6/7 win season was not what anyone was hoping for in 2025 and Swinney himself can't be too happy with the play of his offense. It's unknown whether an offseason change will come or not, but we don't have to tell you that countless people wouldn't be opposed to it if Riley isn't brought back.

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The are moving on from offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, per Tigers Illustrated. The school shortly confirmed after the report. This comes after he spent the previous three seasons with the program.

In addition, safeties coach Mickey Conn will also not be brought back. Head coach Dabo Swinney released a statement on the decision.

“I have made the decision to make a change at offensive coordinator,” Swinney said. “This was a very difficult decision. These decisions are never easy, especially when you really love and care for the people that are involved, and I deeply love and care for Garrett Riley and his family. At the end of the day, we just did not get the production and the results that we needed, and I just feel like it is time for a change, and so we will be moving in a different direction with a new offensive coordinator.

“I just want to thank Garrett for all that he did for us here at Clemson and leading us and helping us secure another ACC championship in 2024 and get us back to the College Football Playoff that year. I appreciate all of his efforts on behalf of our players and our program. Garrett is smart, he’s got great work ethic and he’s a great coach, but it just didn’t work like we both wanted. He’s got an amazing career ahead and he’ll be a great head coach in the future.

“We will also have a change with the leadership of our safeties with the departure of Mickey Conn. Coach Conn is someone that I’ve known since 1990 and he truly is family to me. He has done an amazing job here at Clemson. He’s been with us since 2016 — 10 years — and he’s been coaching the safeties since 2017 and coached a bunch of great safeties for us, including R.J. Mickens, who is a starting safety in the NFL as a rookie this year.

“I’m just so appreciative of Mickey and the great contribution that he’s made at Clemson over the last decade. I’m thankful for his family as well. I’m excited for upcoming opportunities he may have to go and call a defense and take the next step in his career. I’m forever grateful for Mickey and all the outstanding players he’s coached and all the memorable wins and championships we’ve earned together in the last decade.

“I am excited about the plan we have in place for our secondary and our defensive staff, and I am looking forward to identifying the right leader for our offense to help achieve our goals for 2026 and beyond.”

Riley came to Clemson in 2023 and has been serving as both the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach during that time. This has coincided with the Cade Klubnik era of Tigers’ offense. However, on the field, there have been some mixed results. That includes going to the a season ago before finishing 7-5 this season.

The 2025 season proved to be a frustrating one for Clemson. In the Preseason AP Top 25 Poll, Clemson was the No. 4 team in the country. After missing out on the CFP this year, head coach Dabo Swinney clearly decided that some changes needed to be made on his staff.

This also comes after Swinney had, seemingly, been critical of Riley throughout the season. Back in October, even wrote that their relationship was at a rocky point. That was even to the point that Tiger Illustrated noted that Swinney seemed to be publicly critical of Riley to a degree he had never been of another assistant coach. All of that pointed to a potential change coming on his staff once the season wrapped up.

This season, Clemson was 50th nationally in total offense, while averaging 405.3 yards per game. That was seventh in the ACC. Then, the Tigers were 61st in scoring offense, putting up 28.7 points per game. That mark would be 10th in the ACC.

Clemson just concluded the postseason with a 22-10 loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl. Klubnik had 193 passing yards and no passing touchdowns. The Tigers ran for 43 yards as a team.

Garrett Riley is the brother of head coach Lincoln Riley. A Texas native, he began his coaching career in the high school ranks and made the jump to college as a GA at when Lincoln was the offensive coordinator on the staff there. From there, Riley would work his way up as an assistant coach and in 2020, he got his first chance to be an offensive coordinator. That was at . He would later move to and it was from the Horned Frogs that Clemson poached him following the 2022 season.

Covering one team and one school, as we do here at Trojans Wire, involves a delicate balance. It's important to tell it like it is -- no sunshine pumping, no pulled punches -- but it's also important to give credit in the midst of a tense or complicated situation when credit is earned. The balance of honest skepticism and honest praise is often tricky, and right now at USC is one of those times as we try to tell you the real story about Lincoln Riley.

We are still very skeptical about Oregon

We're going to get to the positive spin in a moment, but first, let's not escape from the challenge in front of Lincoln Riley and USC: Oregon. Is this team ready to win in Eugene? We're all about to find out, but right now, I'm still not trusting this team in a big road game. It's the ultimate hurdle Lincoln Riley has not been able to surmount. USC cannot play bad first quarters and first halves and win on the road against good teams. For 2025, I'm still not sold on the Trojans ... but you probably don't want to dwell too much on that point. Moreover, Saturday will give us the verdict on this team and season, and we will have a whole week to discuss the Ducks.

This was about 2026 more than 2025 for Lincoln Riley

Unless this season was a total disaster -- 7-5 or 6-6 -- we all knew Lincoln Riley was going to come back in 2026 and coach USC for another season. The discomfort I personally felt (shared by a lot of USC fans) was rooted in the idea that Riley was not creating real reason for optimism going into next year. This Iowa win is the first time in a very long time that I felt Lincoln Riley can really get it done at USC. I was skeptical about 2026 the whole season ... until Saturday. Why? That's what I'm going to unpack as I go along:

Real response, real comeback

Against Nebraska, let's be honest: Dylan Raiola getting hurt was a huge break for the Trojans, who were outplayed in the first half and were able to win primarily because Nebraska could not throw the ball in the second half. That was a second-half comeback, but altered by a significant turn of events beyond USC's control.

This game against Iowa was a true comeback. No asterisks, no doubt, no nonsense. That was a championship-level response against an opponent known for playing really good defense, especially against the pass. USC went into the teeth of the Iowa defense and conquered it with Makai Lemon being an absolute baller. The defense, missing Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald, shut out Iowa. Guys really dug deep at a level I have not seen at USC since the 2022 team. This is what it's supposed to look like at USC. I haven't seen this kind of quality or felt this kind of culture change in three years.

The difference from the Illinois game

Without Kamari Ramsey, USC's defense was lost against Illinois. This time, USC -- sans Ramsey -- held it together. This game shows why the Illinois loss was so bad, but the Iowa comeback also shows how much the Trojans have evolved. It's a learning point -- and a source of confidence -- which can flow into the offseason and become a springboard for exponential growth and development in 2026.

D'Anton Lynn

Lynn has not been great this season -- we should all be able to admit that -- but coming up with a second-half shutout of Iowa and getting more from a defense which missed arguably its two best players in the secondary is a very impressive feat. This does feel like a turning point for Lynn and an indicator that he will regain his fastball in 2026. He talked about the youth of this 2025 defense as a reason USC hasn't made huge forward strides, but now there seems to be the appearance of genuine late-season development which bodes well for the following campaign. USC really could put all the pieces together on defense in 2026.

Jayden Maiava made big plays without big mistakes

Jayden Maiava did not throw a crushing interception or make a huge third-quarter mistake which stopped a USC comeback in its tracks. This time he was able to trust Makai Lemon without putting the ball in the wrong place. This is what it's supposed to look like, setting up a huge 2026 season.

Jayden Maiava shuts up the regression talk

It was legitimate to worry that tougher competition was causing real regression for Maiava. A performance like this against a defense like that (Iowa) changes the conversation and shows that Maiava's growth is not a mirage. Oregon will tell us more, but Iowa told us Maiava has indeed established a higher floor this season. Now he must pursue a higher ceiling in Eugene and in 2026.

Zach Hanson

The biggest reason to be optimistic about USC football going into 2026 is Zach Hanson. What a tremendous job the first-year offensive line coach continues to do. Without an injured Elijah Paige, USC's line was still able to give Jayden Maiava a clean pocket against Iowa's front four. USC has been operating without a fully healthy line for much of the year, but backups have delivered. It's a lot like the 2022 offensive line which had injuries to Justin Dedich and Andrew Voorhees for varying lengths of time but was able to work around those limitations.

Lincoln Riley's reaction to the win says it all

Lincoln Riley and the reality of USC football

Lincoln Riley is generally not a very emotive guy. The fact that he so emotionally reacted to this win is a manifestation of what we can all appreciate: He knew he was in trouble (not the hot seat, but in a position where he needed to prove something). He knew he had not been getting the best out of this program. He knew this comeback was special, and he knows he can use this as a teaching point to really get the program headed in the right direction.

USC players sensed the moment, too

2026 is more than just the elite incoming recruiting class

As Trojans Wire colleague Ethan Inman wrote in recent weeks, the 2026 recruiting class -- as good as it looks on paper -- is still comprised of freshmen, players who won't all contribute right away. Some, yes, but not all. USC needed its 2025 roster to show growth going into 2026. That's what this Iowa game was all about. USC now has credible reason to believe the veterans and the freshmen -- plus portal additions -- can make this program take off in 2026.

The hope might not last, but -- like USC against Iowa -- it made a comeback

Hope? Optimism? In this economy? At Lincoln Riley's USC? No USC football game over the past three years, with the possible exception of 2024 LSU, has inspired this much hope.

As critical as I have been of Lincoln Riley -- and I should have been -- I am more than willing to say this game eroded a significant chunk of my skepticism for 2026. I was dreading next season going into this game. I was dreading next season at halftime. I am now willing to accept and believe in the possibility that USC might be really good next year.

The pessimistic but necessary postscript

Beyond Oregon, there is still one really important point to emphasize amid the optimism created by the win over Iowa: Rob Ryan still needs a strong closing argument, especially against Oregon, to be retained for 2026. Riley can't make the same mistake he made with Alex Grinch, thinking that a flawed situation can be fixed by retaining a coach instead of getting a coaching upgrade. Rob Ryan needs to prove his guys can play a complete game against an elite opponent. If not, USC and Riley have to upgrade the linebacker coaching spot for 2026.