Lincoln Riley says he isn’t going anywhere. “This is where I want to be,” the USC coach told reporters Tuesday, shutting down the latest round of speculation about his future. Good. Now go beat Ohio State.

I like the answer. Every October, somebody’s coach gets “linked” to a job he never asked about, and the smart ones squash it fast. Riley did, and he went further: he said he’s had chances to leave, called his partnership with athletic director Jen Cohen “fantastic,” and said his job is to stay steady. (Here’s the full story.)

But words in a press conference don’t quiet a fan base. Saturday does.

Here’s where USC sits in year five of the Riley era:

• 6-2, seventh in the Big Ten.
• The good: a 31-23 win at Penn State and a 25-21 win over Washington.
• The bad: a 41-27 home loss to Oregon, and last Saturday a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin. Seven points.
• What’s left: Ohio State at home, at Indiana, Maryland, at UCLA.

That’s the whole season in two of the next three games. Ohio State comes to the Coliseum Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Central on NBC, and the Buckeyes might be starting a true freshman at quarterback. If there was ever a night for USC to steal one, it’s this one.

My take: Riley meant it, and USC shouldn’t want him gone. But “this is where I want to be” lands a lot better the week after you beat Ohio State than the week after you score seven at Wisconsin. For the record, we’ve got Ohio State -7 in this week’s Five and a Fade. Prove me wrong, Lincoln.

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Jeremy Durham is a sports columnist for TriStar Daily and the founder of Five and a Fade.