Lincoln Riley was extra spicy after USC the college football game in Los Angeles on Saturday. The fifth-year head coach appeared to snap at Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork during a heated on-field exchange at the Coliseum.
It is not entirely clear as to why he said what he said or to who.
However, the college football coach was caught on a hot mic. He was described as “a little heated.”
Lincoln Riley prepared a statement for his press conference.
The last few weeks have not been easy for Riley or the Trojans. A team that was supposed to take a big step forward and contend for the College Football Playoff struggled to separate from Rutgers, lost to Oregon, barely escaped against Washington and Penn State, and lost on the road at Wisconsin in ugly fashion.
Some of the fanbase called for their boosters to back up the Brinks truck to pay Riley’s buyout and get him out of Los Angeles. Hot boards popped up online with a list of potential replacements. The Trojans had a sour taste in their mouths and held the head coach responsible. His team looked like a deer in headlights against the Badgers and that was the last straw!
He had to go. If he wasn’t going to be fired, a fairly large portion of the fanbase wanted him to take the open Baylor job.
Well, USC did not fire Lincoln Riley in Week 9. Nor did he leave. He turned right around and defeated No. 2 Ohio State at home in dominant fashion. The Trojans jumped out to a 24-10 lead at halftime and they went on to win the game 30-18.
Riley was fired up after the win. Rightfully so. He heard all of the outside noise and the calls for his job. He silenced them.
The head coach actually prepared a statement for his postgame press conference. Riley reaffirmed his commitment to the program.
Lincoln Riley made it clear where he stands after USC's massive upset over No. 2 Ohio State. pic.twitter.com/cHCQF9YDA9
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2026
Those were not his only choice words of the evening! The 43-year-old got into a heated altercation before he made his way back to the locker room.
USC’s college football coach snapped at an Ohio State staffer.
Nicole Shearin, a USC alumnus, currently serves as the lead sports reporter at WBNS TV 10 in Columbus. She was back in Los Angeles to cover Ohio State play against her alma mater and just so happened to capture the video of the night.
Trojans fans stormed onto the field at the Coliseum to celebrate the win. It was an incredible scene on a rainy Halloween night.
there’s no family like the Trojan Family ✌️ pic.twitter.com/Eo3ExK02Ho
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) November 1, 2026
Lincoln Riley’s family joined him in victory. They were cut off by a Buckeyes staffer as they made their way back toward the tunnel. It appeared to be athletic director Ross Bjork, who appeared to chirp in Riley and Riley’s family’s direction.
That did not go over well with Riley or his wife.
His wife told Bjork to “watch his mouth.” The head coach said, “F— you, p—-!” (which was rather funny given his wife’s request for Bjork to watch his mouth). Shearin captured the entire exchange on video. It has been viewed more than 5 million times.
Things seem to have gotten a little heated from Lincoln Riley walking off the field after upsetting the #Buckeyes, 30-18. pic.twitter.com/JXgt47ylBm
— Nicole Shearin (@NicoleShearintv) November 1, 2026
Although I am not aware of a preexisting beef between Bjork and Riley, it does not seem like they like each other. Columbus Dispatch Adam Cairns captured the following image of the athletic director and head coach:
I do not know whether this picture was captured before or after Shearin’s video but the photo is captioned: “Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork yells at USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.” Cairns specifically used the word “yell” in the title.