USC's 24-7 loss at Wisconsin puts Lincoln Riley on the clock as Ohio State comes to town

USC had never scored as few points under Lincoln Riley as it did Saturday night in Madison. Unranked Wisconsin beat the No. 16 Trojans 24-7 at Camp Randall Stadium, and the questions about Riley's job are now coming from national writers as well as the home crowd.

In his column for USA TODAY Sports, Jordan Mendoza said the program has used up its margin for error. He noted that seven points is the lowest total of Riley's head-coaching career, and that a 17-point loss is the widest margin by which a ranked Riley team has ever lost to an unranked opponent. Saturday Down South added that USC went into the game favored on the road. Mendoza's tally puts USC at 4-9 in games played in the Central or Eastern time zones since joining the Big Ten.

The game turned early. Sports Illustrated reported that quarterback Jayden Maiava threw two first-quarter interceptions, and both gave Wisconsin the ball in USC territory. The Trojans' only touchdown came on a third-and-goal pass from Maiava to Taniela Tupou in the second quarter. A later drive inside the red zone fell apart when Mason Posa's pressure forced Maiava into intentional grounding. USC also missed two field goals and finished with minus-17 rushing yards. Wisconsin kept the ball on the ground and ran 43 times for 142 yards, even though quarterback Colton Joseph threw for just 58.

The loss followed several weeks of shaky results. USC needed a late finish to win 42-35 at Rutgers and lost to Oregon 41-27. It beat Washington 25-21 while the student section chanted for Riley's firing, then got past Penn State 31-23. The Trojans are 6-2, but Mendoza pointed out that crosstown rival UCLA is 7-0, and that this Wisconsin team had lost 17-7 at UCLA a week earlier. "USC is running out of explanations, patience and opportunities," Mendoza wrote for USA TODAY.

What it means for Ohio State

Things do not get easier. USC hosts No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, October 31, on NBC. After that come defending national champion Indiana and then UCLA, so the next three weeks will likely shape how the season is judged and possibly Riley's future too.

USC's results this year split along a clear line. Its four nonconference-level opponents, San José State, Fresno State, Louisiana and Rutgers, gave up an average of better than 43 points a game to the Trojans. Against Oregon, Washington, Penn State and Wisconsin, USC averaged 22.5 points and went 2-2. Both losses came against the strongest teams it has played, and the Buckeyes are a step above either one.

The market agrees. On this site's board, Ohio State is favored at -292 on Novig, one of the venues tracked, and USC is +233 there. That price implies the Buckeyes win roughly three times out of four, which matches how badly the Trojans' offense stalled in Madison.

Wisconsin, now 5-2 with wins over Penn State and USC, goes to No. 15 Iowa on Saturday on Fox. For USC, the job is to fix the turnovers and the running game in one week against one of the best teams in the country.