Is USC's big win no big deal?

This was what Lincoln Riley wanted.

- DYLAN HERNÁNDEZ

LUKE HALES Getty Images IN HIS FIRST 41 games as USC's coach, Lincoln Riley's record is 27-14.

A half-empty Coliseum. An overwhelmed opponent. The anonymous visitors from Palookaville booed as they marched onto the field.

Los Angeles is about big events, and there was nothing big about USC's season opener on Saturday, save for the margin of victory.

There were no conclusions to draw from the 73-13 victory over Missouri State. There were no definitive statements that could be made about the direction of the program.

Is Riley a fraud or is he actually building something other than a $200-million practice facility?

Was scheduling cannon fodder such as Missouri State a necessary step to reach the College Football Playoff or a cynical effort to conceal USC's mediocrity?

Nobody knows.

With a home game against Clay Helton-coached Georgia Southern next week and a visit to rebuilding Purdue the week after, the Trojans won't be tested until they host Michigan State on Sept. 20.

The soft early-season schedule will place USC in a limbo of sorts, as it will be incapable of generating any excitement for its team.