Pac-12 Championship: 3 things we learned from Oregon beating USC – Kayvon Thibodeaux is a beast

The Oregon Ducks prove once again they are the best program in the Pac-12.

For the second consecutive season, the Oregon Ducks are Pac-12 champions, beating the No. 13 USC Trojans 31-24 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday night.

After finishing as the runner-up in the Pac-12 North to Washington and replacing the Huskies who couldn’t play due to COVID, the Ducks handed USC their first loss of the season and ended any hope the Trojans could make the College Football Playoff.

A pair of early interceptions by USC football star quarterback Kedon Slovis gave the visiting Ducks a ton of momentum to pull off the upset victory. At 4-2, the Oregon football team will represent the Pac-12 in the Fiesta Bowl. For USC, the Trojans drop to 5-1 and see their slimmest of College Football Playoff dreams evaporate and may head to the Alamo Bowl.

3 takeaways from Oregon beating USC in the Pac-12 Championship Game

Kayvon Thibodeaux should be the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft

The most impactful player in this game was Oregon defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux who took home MVP honors. Only a sophomore, it is abundantly clear that he is the best talent in this Power 5 conference. Because Oregon will be favored to win the Pac-12 at the start of next season, there will be enough buzz to ensure he will be a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell will be mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick but Thobideaux was unblockable for a second straight year in the Pac-12 Championship Game and could be the top overall pick.

Joe Moorhead’s offense should be nasty in 2021

It is only Joe Moorhead’s first year in Eugene, but we saw glimpses of what a dynamic offense the Ducks can have. The former Mississippi State head coach is back in the best role for him as a Power 5 blue-blood offensive coordinator. Creativity and balance allowed the Ducks to score four touchdowns on the strong Trojans defense without throwing for anywhere near 200 yards. With the second year for Tyler Shough running the offense and running backs Travis Dye and Sean Dollars returning along with 6-foot-5 receiver Devon Williams who led the team in receiving, the Ducks will be a formidable unit.

Oregon is kryptonite for Kedon Slovis

This was not a good night for Slovis who was hounded all night by Thobideaux and had three interceptions, including the game-sealer in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He also threw three interceptions last season vs. the Ducks, as well as another three in the Trojans’ loss to the BYU Cougars. Slovis may be the closest thing to USC has to Superman, but Oregon has quickly become his version of kryptonite.

Overall, we got a pretty competitive and exciting Pac-12 Championship Game for some late-season Pac-12 After Dark. Somehow, someway, the two teams we thought we would get at the start of the season met for a chance to go to a New Year’s Six bowl. Though USC was favored to win this game, at the start of the year, there was a reason everybody was so high on the Ducks. They can definitely contend for a playoff berth in 2021.

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