Riley to become next USC coach
Southern Cal is closing its three-month search for a new football coach with a bombshell hire, landing Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to turn around the Trojans’ program.
Riley, a former Texas Tech quarterback, posted a 55-10 record while leading the Sooners during four seasons. He has won four Big 12 championships, seamlessly replacing Bob Stoops following his retirement. Riley previously was Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and mentored back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.
Riley has agreed to terms and will be the 30th coach of the Trojans, ending a search characterized by its quiet with a boom that will be felt across college football, a source with knowledge of the search not authorized to speak publicly about it told the Los Angeles Times.
The question has lingered for three months: Would USC athletic director Mike Bohn take advantage of the long runway he gained by firing Clay Helton Sept. 13 and land a coach that could quickly rally the Trojans?
The Trojans have not appeared in a College Football Playoff and have won just one Pac-12 title since 2008.
La.-lafayette’s Napier lands Florida position
Florida hired Louisiana-lafayette’s Billy Napier on Sunday to be the Gators’ next football coach.
The 42-year-old Napier will remain with the Ragin Cajuns (11-1) this week as they prepare to host Appalachian State (10-2) in the Sun Belt Conference championship game Saturday. He is 39-12 in four seasons in Lafayette.
Florida scheduled an introductory news conference with Napier for Dec. 5. Napier’s contract calls for a $3 million buyout to be paid to Louisiana-lafayette.
Florida had lost nine of its last 11 games against teams from the Football Bowl Subdivision before beating rival Florida State on Saturday. The 24-21 win made Florida (6-6) bowl eligible.
Cutcliffe and Duke mutually part ways
David Cutcliffe won’t return for a 15th season as Duke’s coach after the school announced a “mutual agreement for separation” on Sunday following the Blue Devils’ winless Atlantic Coast Conference record.
The school’s announcement came a day after the Blue Devils (3-9, 0-8) closed a three-win season with a 47-10 home loss to Miami.
Associate head coach Trooper
Taylor will serve as interim coach while Duke searches for Cutcliffe’s permanent successor.
TCU to introduce Dykes as new coach
Sonny Dykes is set to be introduced as TCU’S new coach on Tuesday after four seasons at SMU, according to a person familiar with the decision.
Dykes was 30-18 at SMU, overseeing the program’s best stretch of success since returning in 1989 after being the only team ever to serve the NCAA’S so-called death penalty.
Michigan up to No. 2 in latest AP rankings
Michigan jumped to No. 2 in the Associated Press college football poll Sunday, and Oklahoma State joined the top five for the first time since 2015.
Georgia was a unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank for the eighth consecutive week.
Cincinnati moved up to No. 3, flip-flopping with Alabama at No. 4. The Crimson Tide slipped after beating Auburn in overtime.
Saturday’s games
Spencer Sanders threw for a touchdown and ran for another and host Oklahoma State beat Oklahoma 37-33 to keep alive its College Football Playoff chances and stop the Sooners’ streak of Big 12 titles at six. Oklahoma State (11-1, 8-1, No. 7 CFP) snapped a six-game losing streak to Oklahoma. The Cowboys will play No. 9 Baylor next Saturday for the Big 12 championship. … Jack Coan threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and visiting Notre Dame finished off the regular season with a 45-14 victory over Stanford to
keep its playoff hopes alive. … Jalen Hall passed for 276 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Allgeier rushed for 111 yards and a pair of scores and visiting Brigham Young rallied to defeat Southern California 35-31 after blowing an 15-point third-quarter lead. …Tanner Morgan overcame an interception that was returned for a first-half touchdown, leading host Minnesota on three scoring drives after halftime to surge past Wisconsin 23-13, take back Paul Bunyan’s Axe and give Iowa the Big Ten West Division title. … Kenny
Pickett threw for four touchdowns to break the Pittsburgh school record for scoring passes in a season in a 31-14 win over host Syracuse. … Will Shipley ran for 128 yards and a touchdown and visiting Clemson’s defense smothered South Carolina for its seventh-straight win in the Palmetto State rivalry 30-0.