Oregon game will show us if USC football coaching staff is capable
It's not embellishment to say that USC's coaching staff absolutely has to deliver the goods against Dan Lanning and Oregon in 2026
The 2026 USC football game against Oregon could be the most important game for Lincoln Riley since the 2022 Pac-12 Championship Game against Oregon. The enormity of this game cannot be overstated. It's not hyperbole to say this is a defining moment for Riley and USC.
The stakes of the game are obvious in a season when USC faces a loaded Big Ten schedule. Beyond the stakes, however, is the fact that Oregon is going through coaching changes, as ESPN noted: "Dan Lanning, not surprisingly, looked within the staff to replace coordinators Tosh Lupoi and Will Stein, elevating Chris Hampton to the primary defensive role and Drew Mehringer, who had overseen tight ends, to OC. Hampton and Mehringer have previous primary coordinator experience.
Lanning also elevated Koa Ka'ai to quarterbacks coach and Kamran Araghi to edge rushers coach, and brought back veteran offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh, a Ducks analyst in 2023 and 2024. "The Ducks lost a sizable group to the NFL draft, including first-rounders Sadiq and Thieneman, plus five more draft picks, but the overall total could have been much higher. Replacing both coordinators in the same year ahead of a season with national championship implications isn't ideal, but Lanning was prepared for the departures and had successors in the building ready to go.
The Ducks absorbed several depth hits in the portal, especially in the defensive front seven with Ashton Porter , Blake Purchase , Terrance Green , Jericho Johnson and others departing, as well as talented tight end Roger Saleapaga and wide receiver Kyler Kasper . " The staff changes and roster losses for Oregon make this a moment of truth for USC. If the Trojans can't outflank the Ducks now and prove they are better, when will Lincoln Riley ever be able to get the upper hand against Dan Lanning?