Beginning in late November 2021, when then-Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley jumped ship to Los Angeles to become USC's head coach, the Trojans have operated under various themes to help explain why their rebuild always seems to unfold at such a leisurely pace. The various talking points throughout Riley’s high-priced, pressure-packed tenure have looked something like this: As the Riley era enters its fifth season in L.A., and with the Trojans having failed to reach double-digit wins since he took over in 2022, many of these points have produced equal and opposite reactions. The early roster c...