Before Jim Harbaugh turned Michigan back into a national powerhouse, the coach was nearly ousted in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Patience with Harbaugh’s plans was wearing thin. Recruiting was lagging. Fans were demanding his resignation.
But Michigan kept Harbaugh and he won the national title in 2023.
As USC coach Lincoln Riley saw it, that was the kind of dedication it took to build a top program from the ground up. Like Harbaugh, he wasn’t about to let outside pressure disrupt his process at USC.
“They had some ups and downs, right when Jim was there,” Riley said. “A lot of people on the outside thought, ‘Oh, they can’t turn it around,’ and they stayed the course. What I respected most about them is that they stayed very true to their process and ignored anyone on the outside who thought they deserved an opinion.”
The USC coach is at a critical point in his own rebuilding process, walking the line between building and competing with his 2-0 Trojans. A key benchmark lies ahead Saturday, as USC opens its Big Ten slate against the program Riley hopes to emulate.
Michigan looks vulnerable after an early loss to Texas. But Riley has made it clear how much respect he has for the reigning champions. He has no intention of overlooking them.
“Everybody wants to write the story for everybody after a couple games of the season, and it’s a long season, man,” Riley said. “That’s a good football team that we have a lot of respect for. Anything less would be a mistake on our part.”
Here’s what you can watch when No. 11 USC travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on No. 18 Michigan on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PDT in a game televised nationally on CBS (Channel 2, Paramount+).
New plan for a new QB?
The preparation for Michigan’s new starting quarterback, Alex Orji, began nearly three weeks ago. USC’s defense just didn’t know it yet.
That’s when USC first turned to defending the read option prior to a game with Utah State, whose substitute quarterback, Bryson Barnes, had finished them on the ground the year before as a Utah backup.
Barnes, who had 88 yards in his previous outing, ultimately finished with minus-8 yards rushing against USC, which effectively kept him in the pocket and forced him to pass. It didn’t work out well for Barnes.
Read more: Lincoln Riley isn’t too concerned about Michigan changing quarterbacks
USC will likely use a similar plan to slow Orji, who has 31 career rushing attempts against just seven passing yards — six of which have come in the first three games of the season. USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said USC had plenty to improve on from Utah State film, “which Michigan probably saw and thought, ‘OK, we can take advantage of that.'”
The uncertainty over a new quarterback won’t change Lynn’s plans much, he said. So much so that one of USC’s defensive leaders, Jamil Muhammad, had to mention the new guy’s name before saying he was “excited to play someone as elusive as he is.”
Internal Terror
If Riley had arrived at USC just a little sooner, Michigan — instead of the Trojans — might have been preparing for a showdown with one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the country.
Riley immediately made four-star Servite defensive tackle recruit Mason Graham a priority recruiting target when he was hired at USC. But the last-ditch effort proved too late.
“There wasn’t enough of a relationship there, and he was far enough along with those guys that it was one of those things where if it had happened earlier, maybe it would have been different, maybe it wouldn’t have been,” Riley said. “It’s not a surprise to me to see the kind of player he’s become.”
Read more: Hernández: USC has become a Big Ten power and should reach the College Football Playoff
Now he must find a way to compensate not only for Graham but also for defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who may be the most fearsome interior guard in college football. Both are projected first-round picks in the upcoming NFL draft, with Graham seen as a potential top-five selection, and both have the potential to make long days for USC’s unproven offensive line.
The duo will undoubtedly test right guard Alani Noa, USC’s least experienced and most inconsistent player.
“It’s a big test, a big test,” Riley said. “Obviously the two defensive tackles are great, but the edge guys are good too. So it’s a big challenge that we’ve got to rise to.”
Setting up the run
USC running back Woody Marks already knows where USC’s first Big Ten appearance will be decided on Saturday.
“It always starts up front with the O-line, D-line,” Marks said. “We’ve been preaching that since fall camp, spring ball. It starts up front with the big guys, and the little guys, as they call us, we follow.”
USC will need its little guys, especially Marks, to make a big impact if it wants to keep the ball out of the hands of Michigan’s offense, which will likely try to shut the game down on the ground.
Read more: ‘It Was Already Written.’ How USC Center Jonah Monheim Became the Trojans’ Leader
Marks came alive against Utah State, rushing 13 times for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Quinten Joyner rushed for 84 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. But neither will likely find as much space against Michigan.
On the other hand, Michigan will surely try to kickstart Donovan Edwards, the Wolverines’ elusive star running back who has started slowly this season. Edwards is averaging 50 yards per game this season while being outpaced by power back Kalel Mullings.
“He’s got great vision,” Lynn said of Edwards. “You always have to be prepared for him to pass the ball back. Great size, great speed. He’s a really good back and we know he can go at any time.”
Get the day’s best, most interesting, and weirdest stories from the world of sports in LA and beyond with our newsletter, The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
