Who needs it more? Dan Lanning, Lincoln Riley both face major pressure ahead of Oregon vs. USC

On Saturday night, No. 20 Oregon will visit No. 12 USC for a marquee Big Ten matchup. For a variety of reasons, both coaches are under major pressure to come up with a win.

Lincoln Riley and Dan Lanning are each in the fifth season at USC and Oregon, respectively. Both coaches are among the highest paid in college football, both lead some of the most expensive rosters in the sport and face early questions about coordinator hires.

Objectively, Lanning has been the more successful coach to this point. He's taken the Ducks to the College Football Playoff twice, and he has a Big Ten championship under his belt. Lanning has perhaps his most talented team this season, which is why a loss this weekend would be so crushing. After a Week 2 loss to Oklahoma State, Oregon could have two losses by the end of September.

Riley, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first playoff appearance with the Trojans. He hasn't won double-digit games in a single season since 2022, and Riley has really struggled against the toughest competition. This offseason, Riley made a splashy defensive coordinator hire in Gary Patterson, but the early returns on…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/