USC should have beaten Michigan, but curious play calls from Lincoln Riley raise questions as to whether he can lead the Trojans to a national title.

The No. 11 USC Trojans suffered a close loss against the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines. A top focus of this loss was how many penalties were not called against Michigan.

The Trojans rally in the second half only to fall 27-24 after Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings’ 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 37 seconds left

No. 18 Michigan inflicted a pair of significant blows in the first half against No. 11 USC on Saturday, taking a 14-3 lead into the break behind stingy defense and explosiveness in its run game. Kalel Mullings busted a 53-yard touchdown run on the Wolverines' third possession to open the scoring after the teams traded early punts.

"That's just a representation of who we are," Michigan football running back Kalel Mullings said after powering the game-winning drive over USC.

The Trojans rally in the second half only to fall 27-24 after Wolverines running back Kalel Mullings’ 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 37 seconds left

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,

Here's a look at social media reactions to Michigan defeating USC football, despite having just 32 passing yards from quarterback Alex Orji:

USC's first taste of conference play in the Big Ten did not go the way Trojans fans were hoping. USC was beaten to death by Michigan's run game in a 27-24

After two big wins to start the 2024 college football season, the USC Trojans slammed into a brick wall on Saturday evening in Ann Arbor. The No. 11 USC football suffered a 27-24 loss to the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines to the tune of a 27-23 score.