No. 1 Oregon managed to handle the challenges of a crazy college football season, even during a wild championship weekend.
It just took the Ducks a little longer than expected to keep their biggest goals alive.
Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes, and a late interception helped Oregon defeat No. 3 Penn State 45-37 on Saturday night in the Big Ten championship game. This victory earned the Ducks a first-round bye and almost guaranteed them the top seed in the first 12-team College Football Playoff as they chase their first national championship.
“You live for these moments, you dream of these moments and you want to be in them,” Gabriel said after celebrating with his family near one of Lucas Oil Stadium’s tunnels. “I’m just smiling because we’re Big Ten champs.”
Gabriel has certainly taken full advantage of his opportunities since announcing he would transfer from Oklahoma to Oregon nearly a year ago.
Gabriel and Oregon (13-0, No. 1 CFP) didn’t take the easy path to becoming the last undefeated team in FBS.
Coach Dan Lanning intentionally ran 12 players onto the field to help preserve a 32-31 victory over Ohio State in mid-October. The Ducks survived freezing conditions to win 16-13 at Wisconsin in mid-November, and they won on Saturday even after giving up a season-high points total and nearly losing a 15-point lead in the final four minutes.
Still, the Ducks passed this test too.
They won their first conference title since claiming the Pac-12 championship in 2019 and 2020, and they did it in their first season of Big Ten play. Unlike No. 2 Texas or No. 8 SMU, they found a way to win their league title.
Oregon relied on some familiar names.
Gabriel, the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, completed 22 of 32 passes for 283 yards. Running back Jordan James carried the ball 20 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns, including the Ducks’ final score midway through the fourth quarter. Receiver Tez Johnson, who was named the game MVP, caught 11 passes for 181 yards and one touchdown.
Gabriel completed two passes to Kenyon Sadiq, both of which went for touchdowns, with Sadiq hurdling a defender on his first score. The first half was a record-setting one, with the teams combining for 55 points, surpassing the previous championship game record of 52 set in 2012.
“I thought our offense did an unbelievable job tonight and the belief in our team never wavered,” coach Dan Lanning said.
However, the usually high-powered offense needed help from defensive back Nikko Reed, whose acrobatic interception in front of the Penn State sideline sealed the win.
Penn State (11-2, No. 3 CFP) was hoping to win its first league title since 2016. Though they lost, the Nittany Lions are expected to receive a playoff bid and likely have a first-round home game.
Despite Penn State playing well and fighting back from a 28-10 first-half deficit, coach James Franklin knew they didn’t play a perfect game needed to beat the nation’s best team.
“We played the No. 1 team in the country and had a chance to win at the end,” Franklin said. “We’re going to learn from it.”
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar had a solid game, completing 20 of 39 passes for 236 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The first interception was turned into an Oregon touchdown.
Penn State was strong on the ground, with Kaytron Allen rushing 14 times for 124 yards and one touchdown, and Nicholas Singleton carrying 10 times for 101 yards. Singleton also caught a touchdown pass, and Allen hurt his left ankle late in the game.
The turning point came early in the fourth quarter when Penn State’s 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving them trailing 38-30.
On the following 75-yard drive, James scored on a 12-yard run to put Oregon up 45-30 with 7:28 left.
Allar responded with a 14-yard touchdown pass to a covered Harrison Wallace III, making the score 45-37 with 3:41 remaining. After forcing a punt, Penn State had one more chance to get the ball back.
Now, the only question seems to be whether Oregon can finish a crazy season with a perfect ending.
“These guys can take it all the way if they continue to work hard,” Lanning shouted to the crowd after confetti and streamers filled the field. “I guarantee you they will continue to work.”
