What is Lincoln Riley’s buyout? USC is stuck between rock and a hard place

After losing a very winnable game against Minnesota last week, some college football fans in L.A. are looking to fire Riley despite the coach having a giant buyout. The coach, who is 22-10 during his three-year tenure with the program has struggled to compete for the playoff despite them having star QB Caleb Williams under center for two of those years.

Under Riley, the squad has struggled to build a good defense with that being the main reason they have been unable to reach the playoff. The head coach's biggest accomplishment came when the squad was able to win the Holiday Bowl. While San Diego is wonderful in the winter and the people at the bowl put on an amazing event, winning an average bowl is a terrible "best accomplishment" three years in.

As the former Oklahoma head coach tries to get the Trojans back on track after losing to an average Minnesota program, it's clear that USC is stuck between a rock and a hard place with Riley's buyout.

What is Lincoln Riley’s buyout?

According to Brad Crawford of 247 Sports, Lincoln Riley's estimated buyout is $88 million. Of course, this is an estimate and not an exact amount but it's fair to say that the Trojans will be paying the coach a lot of money to sit at home if they decide to make a change.

Despite having an extremely pricey buyout, it's possible that a school like USC could make a move with the coach if things continue to deteriorate. In all likelihood, the Trojans will make a low-tier bowl game with the program probably winning 6 or 7 wins this season, at best.

Considering this, it's possible that USC could pull enough funds to fire Riley but this will likely require a similar cash infusion that Texas A&M boosters gave to their school ahead of firing Jimbo Fisher.