Baylor football decided to fire Dave Aranda as the head coach. He was in the middle of his seventh season as head coach, but after a 4-3 start to the season, Aranda was let go. After letting go of Aranda, USC head coach Lincoln Riley's name started popping up as a potential replacement. While not the favorite to land the job, Riley would become the favorite if he were let go by USC.
Since the news of Arnada being fired by Baylor, USC has made some strides. The Trojans are 7-2 on the year and have a win over Ohio State. This has put USC in the race for the College Football Playoff, as they are currently ranked 18th. While things are looking better for the Trojans, Riley's name is still being tied to the Baylor job, according to Pete Nakos of On3.
“Sources have said Baylor will take some big swings in this coaching search. When the job initially opened, sources told On3 the wild card name to watch was USC’s Lincoln Riley, who was coming off a loss to Wisconsin. But the Trojans bounced back with a win over Ohio State and now control their destiny beginning this weekend at Indiana,” Nakos wrote. “Riley’s name could still be tied to the Baylor job if USC falls out of College Football Playoff contention, but that’s not the case yet.”
Article Continues BelowUSC controls its own destiny in the playoff race. They will visit Indiana this upcoming Saturday before a home date with Maryland. They will then visit UCLA to end the season. If the Trojans finish 3-0, they will likely be heading to the Big Ten championship game and the College Football Playoffs. It would also likely end the Baylor pursuit of Riley.