ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Before Jim Harbaugh built Michigan back into a national power, the coach was nearly kicked to the curb in Ann Arbor, Mich. Patience with Harbaugh’s plans wore thin. Recruiting was lagging. Fans called for his firing.

But Michigan kept Harbaugh and he raised a national title trophy in 2023.

As USC coach Lincoln Riley saw it, that was the sort of commitment required to rebuild a top program from the ground up. Like Harbaugh, he had no plans of letting outside pressure derail his process at USC.

“They had some ups and downs, right when Jim got there,” Riley said. “A lot of people thought on the outside, ‘Oh, they’re not gonna be able to turn it around,’ and they stayed the course. The thing I respected the most about them is they stayed very true and committed to their process and ignored everybody on the outside that thought they deserved an opinion.”

USC’s coach finds himself at a critical point in his own rebuilding process, straddling the line between building and contending with his 2-0 Trojans. A major measuring stick lies ahead on Saturday, as USC opens its Big Ten slate against the program whose success Riley hopes to emulate.

Michigan looks vulnerable after an early loss to Texas. But Riley has made clear how much respect he has for the defending champions. He has no intention of overlooking them.

“Everyone wants to write the story after a couple games of the season for everyone, and it’s a long season, man,” Riley said. “That’s a good football team that we have a lot of respect for. To have anything less would be a mistake on our part.”

Here’s what to watch as No. 11 USC heads to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on No. 18 Michigan on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PDT in a game airing nationally on CBS (Channel 2, Paramount+).