USC’s Lincoln Riley takes different tack regarding blowup with Ohio State AD
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USC’s Lincoln Riley takes different tack regarding blowup with Ohio State AD
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork yells at USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley following an NCAA football game, Image 2 shows USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks the sideline during the NCAA football game, Image 3 shows Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day talks to USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley prior to the NCAA football game
Ben Bolch·NY Post Sports
·
3 min read
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Three days after a postgameblowup in which he yelled profanitieson the Coliseum field, USC coach Lincoln Riley was considerably calmer when it came to Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork.
In fact, Riley said his verbal dustup with Bjork was put behind him almost immediately after it happened.
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"Yeah, not an issue — I mean, just typical emotions after the game," Riley said Tuesday. "We squashed it on the way up the tunnel. Ross is a good guy, a really good AD. It's really a non-issue."
So what happened?
Ohio State athletics director Ross Bjork yells at USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley following an NCAA football game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
"That's really all I'm going to say about it," Riley said.
Amid a logjam of players, athletics staffers, coaches, family members and others heading toward the tunnel as students rushed the field, Riley and Bjork crossed paths while the USC coach was waiting to proceed with his family.
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As security let people pass a checkpoint in a trickle, there was congestion — and tempers.
"Are you kidding me? F–k you!" Riley shouted at Bjork as the AD and a pack of Ohio State staffers walked past. "That's bulls–t."
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, left, talks to USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game in Los Angeles on Oct. 31, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Ohio State seemingly wanted to prioritize defensive end Eddrick Houston leaving the field with assistance after getting injured, making others wait. One Buckeyes staffer then made a gesture toward Riley to de-escalate the situation, at which point the mood seemed to soften.
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks the sideline during an NCAA college football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Los Angeles on Oct. 31, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Riley said he was able to gather his thoughts during an unsually lengthy wait to speak with reporters.
"It was kind of a unique situation," Riley said Tuesday, "because I got up to the locker room pretty quick — they got me off the field pretty quick. I had probably close to 30 minutes before we got the whole team in there, I mean, it was mayhem.
"It took for sure the longest it's taken to get all the players in there, so I had really like 30 minutes in there to kind of sit down, process it all and I decided to jot down a few notes, and there was just a few things that I wanted to say and after the emotions of the game and all that, I wanted to be able to articulate a few of those things, and that's why I wrote it down and that's why I chose to say it."
