Tumbling USC must beat Washington or program falls into shambles

Those wide eyes seemed to be speaking for an entire fan base.USC football radio analyst Shaun Cody’s expression after play-by-play partner Pete Arbogast called linebacker Desman Stephens II walloping Dante Moore a clean hit echoed many Trojan fans’ disbelief around the program over the last week.Take your pick of the many indignities.There was the loss to Oregon, at home, against a backup quarterback – courtesy of Stephens’ big hit.There was the ejection of Stephens for targeting, his subsequent thoughtless celebration and ultimate one-game suspension levied by the school.There was the defense that somehow looked worse under Gary Patterson than what had preceded it.Perhaps most disturbingly, there was the head coach who seemed to be losing supporters by the hour.Many of the national media figures who had backed Lincoln Riley for years were now saying they had lost faith in the coach whose hopes for a College Football Playoff breakthrough, in Year 5, were already teetering before the end of September.If Riley’s biggest advocates are jumping ship, how much support remains in Heritage Hall?Any conceivable path toward redemption starts Saturday afternoon when the No.

18 Trojans (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) face Washington (3-1, 1-1) at the Coliseum.Here are five things to watch:Predictably, the Trojans said all the right things about pulling together amid adversity.Said quarterback Jayden Maiava: “I’ve never seen a team as tight as this team.”Said offensive tackle Elijah Paige: “This is the best time to come together as one, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”As always, the display on the field Saturday will speak louder than any words.There’s almost no imaginable scenario in which USC can make the CFP if it loses to the Huskies given a schedule that includes a home game against No.

5 Ohio State, not to mention road games against No.6 Indiana, No.

23 UCLA, Penn State and Wisconsin.Further irritating some fans tired of excuses, Riley sa...