Mad Dog Russo Says Lincoln Riley Has Been a Massive Success at USC Because Caleb Williams Won a Heisman, Apparently Unaware Riley Shit the Bed for Multiple Years With That Heisman Winner

We're close enough to college football season that we have airtime being spent on horrific takes. It won't be long now.

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo was on ESPN this morning singing the praises of what a wonderful job Lincoln Riley has done at USC because ... he produced a Heisman Trophy winner? Is this the same Lincoln Riley that blew a prime chance at a College Football Playoff appearance with that Heisman-winning quarterback by getting blasted in a Pac-12 Championship Game and followed that up with a 7-5 season? Caleb Williams could have won a Heisman wherever he went; it took a uniquely awful coach to have the best quarterback in the country and go 19-8 in two years.

I love Paul Finebaum's face throughout Mad Dog's entire nonsensical rambling. He's had some bad takes of his own over the years — if you talk about anything for decades, you're going to — but it's an affront to his ball knowledge to have him on a segment with Chris Russo talking about college football. I'd be stunned if Mad Dog could name five current head coaches in the SEC and they're making a guy who has studied college football for 30 years sit there and listen to him spew incoherent garbage.

If I ever heard a college football fan say they judge the success of their program on winning Heisman Trophies — much less while in the throes of back-to-back massive failures of seasons — I'd never take another opinion of theirs seriously again. Good coaches win football games.