Lincoln Riley has been synonymous with elite quarterback play at both USC and Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and most recently Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC, are some of the stars who blossomed in Riley's offense.
This weekend's marquee showdown at the Big House against No. 18 Michigan is a unique chance to add to Miller Moss' (early) legacy. The Trojans' first crack at life in the Big Ten is a road game against the defending national champions Saturday on CBS at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Moss has not only solidified himself as USC's starting quarterback but is one of the early betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy (some oddsmakers have him as high as +1800 odds, which puts him seventh). Moss' 979 yards passing in his first three starts are the most by a USC quarterback this century. He's drawn high praise from someone familiar with elite quarterback play.
"There's no question (Miller) is really smart," Riley said last week on the All Facts No Breaks Podcast. "He's one of the smartest ones, and maybe the smartest (quarterback) that I've had, which is saying something. … Those other guys really understood the game, too, but he's got a great mind for it."
Moss won't have to look further than what Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers did earlier this month against Michigan to boost his standing in the Heisman pecking order. Ewers was surgical in the win over Michigan, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns, which ultimately helped elevate the Longhorns to No. 1 ranked team in the latest AP Top 25 poll.
Ewers' standout performance catapulted him to the top of the Heisman odds charts before exiting last weekend's game against UTSA with an abdominal strain, and he's likely sidelined for Louisiana-Monroe.
Moss can become USC's first quarterback to have three ranked wins under his belt since Sam Darnold. At USC, Williams went 2-7 in against ranked opponents. The lone ranked road win was against crosstown rival UCLA at the Rose Bowl in 2022. Moss was the first quarterback under Riley to win his regular-season debut against a ranked opponent.
What's more, Moss could become the first quarterback to win three games against ranked opponents in his first four career FBS starts since former Ohio State's Cardale Jones at the end of the 2014 season.
Getting over the hump against Michigan would symbolize a new era at USC. The Trojans are 2-15 in their last 17 games against ranked opponents on the road, losing by an average of 10.5 points. Riley is 4-7 against top-25 teams with the Trojans. Michigan has won 22 consecutive conference games and is 13-0 in Ann Arbor against Big Ten opponents since 2021.
Something will have to give on Saturday, and if the latter streak gets broken, it could be the perfect moment to jump on the "Moss for Heisman" bandwagon.
