J. Brady McCollough: Where does Lincoln Riley’s first-year turnaround at USC fit in the sport’s history?

LOS ANGELES — When witnessing something remarkable in progress, there is a natural instinct to ponder if anything like it has ever happened.

So, USC’s wondrous whirlwind from 4-8 to 11-1 and the doorstep of the College Football Playoff in Lincoln Riley’s first season got me to thinking this week: Where does Riley’s masterpiece fit among the best one-year coaching turnarounds in the sport’s history?

Well, for starters, he’s in illustrious and rare company. Most of the game’s legendary coaches either: a) weren’t handed a program in total tatters, or b) did not achieve major success until at least the second season at their new school. For instance, Bob Stoops at Oklahoma, Jim Tressel at Ohio State and Urban Meyer at Florida broke through with national championships in Year 2. Pete Carroll did not win the big one until Year 3 at USC, though it was clear after his second season that he was well on his way to reestablishing a standard of excellence.