Trojan transformation: Lincoln Riley’s remarkable fix at USC

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lincoln Riley took over Southern California’s four-win football program one year ago this week, and he said his Trojans should be competing for championships right away. Riley has delivered on his declaration with a swiftness that even surprises the players who have turned USC into the nation’s fourth-ranked team. The Trojans have a chance at both the Pac-12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. It’s an abrupt correction to a miserable decade-plus for the West Coast’s marquee program. USC has won just one conference crown since 2008 and has never played in the CFP.