It has been nearly a decade since the USC Trojans defeated the Oregon Ducks in football. So, no, the Ducks don't necessarily look at the Trojans as a major threat when they face their conference opponent during the season.
However, Oregon fans might feel even better about their team's upcoming matchup against USC after they see the incoherent ramblings of the Trojans' newest assistant head coach Rob Ryan.
On Monday, Feb. 5, Ryan spoke at his introductory press conference after being hired by head coach Lincoln Riley to lead the defensive unit and, specifically, the linebackers. Quickly, the members of the media lost Ryan's train of thought as he started speaking... well, quite simply, in an unhinged manner.
Enjoy 2 minutes of an absolutely unhinged Rob Ryan pic.twitter.com/m2fCbHAVa9
— The Trojan Blade (@TheTrojanBlade) February 5, 2025
From comparing a player to a "little cat" to talking about forgetting to reserve a vehicle at Rent-A-Car, Ryan's speech devolved into chaos and his ramblings had football fans feeling confident about their matchups against USC in 2025.
Ryan accepted the job from Riley after spending three seasons (2022-24) as the Las Vegas Raiders' senior defensive assistant.
Meanwhile, the Ducks are sitting comfortably as the top recruiters in the nation – averaging a 4.11-star ranking for their class of 2025 prospects, which is the highest in the country.
Alongside Oregon's top-tier recruiting class, head coach Dan Lanning has maintained his support staff throughout the offseason, including assistant head coach and running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples deciding to stay in Eugene instead of taking an NFL job for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Oregon Ducks and the USC Trojans are scheduled to play on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 in the Ducks' penultimate conference game of the regular season.