Certainly, Lincoln Riley thought his introduction to the Big Ten would go much different. But the bruising, physical conference welcomed him and the USC Trojans in by showcasing a complete lack of a passing offense on the other side,

With five minutes remaining in the game, USC had the ball at their own 38-yard line with a 24-20 lead. Instead of running the ball and wasting some clock, coach Lincoln Riley elected to throw the ball on 2nd and 3rd downs. Both passes fell incomplete, and the clock was stopped twice, giving Michigan extra time to score.