Week 13 Takeaways: Oregon’s Identity, Kiffin’s Next Move, Scouting Notes, and My CFB Power Rankings

It’s the morning after in college football, and I’ve got you covered with my biggest takeaways from Week 13. Let’s get to it!

Oregon embraced the run against USC: The Ducks’ RB room came alive, Dante Moore remained efficient, and Kenyon Sadiq shined again

Lane Kiffin’s next move: My best guess on Kiffin’s thought process heading into next week’s Egg Bowl

Prospect Watch: Quick scouting notes on four players that popped on Saturday

Updated College Football Power Rankings: Who’s in the CFP title bubble? Who’s on the outside looking in? I share my tiers heading into Rivalry Week

What a showing by Dante Moore, Noah Whittington, and Will Stein’s Oregon offense on Saturday in their 42-27 win over USC. The Ducks entered the season with what was expected to be an explosive receiving trio of Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr., and Evan Stewart (who’s been out with a torn patellar tendon since June), but have had to rely on a “next man up” philosophy to reshape their identity on the fly over the course of the season. Moore was particularly efficient against USC, finishing with 257 yards on 22-of-30 passing for two touchdowns—both to TE Kenyon Sadiq, who has really stepped up over the past two games—and a pick. But Moore’s success is a direct result of the improved Oregon run game, which is becoming a strength right in front of our eyes.

I mentioned during our Week 8 Tape Truths show that while Oregon’s rushing attack had improved, they needed to streamline the running back rotation and start putting confidence in specific guys to get it done in the biggest moments. Whittington has answered that call to the tune of nearly 400 rushing yards on 6.7 yards per carry over the last four games. He had a season high 19 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, and was spelled by Jordon Davison, who ran 13 times for 50 yards and a TD. Between the improved run game and the reemergence of Sadiq as a receiver, Oregon has found ways to win during a pivotal stretch of the season and kept their title hopes alive. 

Quickly on USC: While their playoff hopes ended with this loss, I think Lincoln Riley has this program headed in the right direction. The run game fell flat against Oregon, but the offense as a whole has looked more like Riley’s Oklahoma units this season than in any other year he’s been at USC. There’s been some buzz about Riley and the open Florida coaching job, but my guess is he stays in Southern California and tries to continue building around talented QB Jayden Maiava this offseason.

Take a look at this Lane Kiffin quote from last week’s SEC teleconference, when Kiffin was asked about different coaching vacancies and how he’s approaching the next phase of his career:

“I do think that people with time change and maybe when they’re younger you make really fast decisions. … I think as you get older and more mature and look at things different, maybe you take longer to make the proper decision. I would say that just in general.”

Between that quote and Kiffin’s actions over the past couple weeks, my guess is that he hasn’t made a final decision on his future. I think he’s processing all the information in real time, which is an exceedingly difficult thing to do in the public eye as he continues coaching an Ole Miss team that’s in the thick of a playoff push.

Despite all of his social media antics and trash talk (which is seen as attention-grabbing by some in this space), he absolutely loves his players and wants to keep the focus on the historic season they’re having. He also loves his family and wants whatever decision he makes to be one that puts everyone around him in a position to succeed. 

I will say this about his coaching options, though: Last Monday I thought he was returning to Ole Miss, but I no longer think that’s the case. It sounds like LSU is the leader in the clubhouse and I’d give them a slight edge at this point. 

Whatever happens, his decision is going to be a massive domino for the college football coaching carousel. I’m not sure that any of the three teams (Ole Miss, LSU, and Florida) in play for Lane have a backup plan.

BYU RB LJ Martin had a great day on the ground against Cincinnati, finishing with a career high 222 rush yards and two touchdowns. He’s big (Martin’s listed at 6-foot-2 and I’m told he weighs in the 230-pound range), he can catch, he’s a physical runner who wears down defenses, and he accelerates out of his cuts faster than most backs his size. In short, Martin is exactly what the NFL is looking for. I believe that he’s one of the top five RBs in this class and has a chance to get selected on Day 2, with his floor being the fourth round. He’s going to be a fast riser come draft season.

Oregon RB Noah Whittington keeps producing every week. On Saturday against USC, he ran for 104 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown, while adding four catches for 22 yards through the air. Since the middle of October, he’s carried this run game and helped fortify the Ducks’ offensive identity.

Oklahoma WR Isaiah Sategna III is starting to take over games. While Sategna doesn’t rank ahead of Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, or Makai Lemon on my big board, he’s entering the conversation to be in that next tier of draft-eligible receivers. He showcased some serious breakaway speed on this 87-yard catch-and-run touchdown against Mizzou:

I’m intrigued by Sategna's increased offensive role and how he continues rising to the moment when his team needs him. The speed will be his biggest selling point (he’s reached 22 mph on the field this season and is estimated to run the 40 in the 4.3-second range), but I’m excited to pop in the coach’s tape to learn more about this guy.

Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher just flies around the football field. My goodness is it fun to watch the effort and relentlessness he plays with. He led Oregon with 13 tackles (one TFL) against USC and even threw in a rushing touchdown for good measure. He could be a mid-round pick come April.

Tier 1: Title Contenders

1. Ohio State (11-0, at Michigan)
2. Indiana (11-0, at Purdue)
3. Texas A&M (11-0, at Texas)
4. Georgia (10-1, vs. Georgia Tech)

Tier 2: Next in Line

5. Texas Tech (10-1, at West Virginia)
6. Ole Miss (10-1, at Mississippi State)
7. Oregon (10-1, at Washington)
8. Notre Dame (9-2, at Stanford)
9. Oklahoma (9-2, vs. LSU)
10. Alabama (9-2, at Auburn)

Tier 3: On the Playoff Bubble

11. Miami (9-2, at Pittsburgh)
12. Texas (8-3, vs. Texas A&M)