Big Ten championship sport capsule: Oregon vs. Penn State

Big Ten championship game

Oregon (12-0) vs. Penn State (11-1)

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET

Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium

TV: CBS

Early line: Oregon -3.5 (FanDuel)

What’s at stake:

Oregon is a sure-fire pick no matter what happens in this game but the Ducks want the No. 1 overall seed and a first-round bye. Having your first game being in the quarterfinals is much more preferred than risk being upset in the first round.

Penn State also is part of the 12-team field no matter what transpires in Indy. But stun the Ducks and get a bye and home-field advantage? That would be a huge development for the Nittany Lions.

How they got here:

The Ducks needed a last-second field goal to beat Boise State on Sept. 7 and then won their next three games by at least 21 points. They defeated Ohio State 32-31 in a major showdown on Oct. 12 and then beat four straight Big Ten opponents — including Illinois and Michigan — by an average of 26.5 points. Saturday’s 49-21 whipping of Washington furthered displayed that Oregon is by far the best team in the land.

Penn State won its first seven games before once again falling to Ohio State, dropping coach James Franklin to 1-10 versus the Buckeyes during his tenure. The Nittany Lions bounced back impressively with wins of 29 and 39 points against Washington and Purdue, respectively. Penn State closed with a 44-7 rout of Maryland and landed the championship game spot due to Michigan’s win over Ohio State.

Names to know:

–Oregon

QB Dillon Gabriel

The transfer is always efficient, and he completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 3,275 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

RB Jordan James

Put together a strong season of 1,166 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, contributing 95 or more yards on eight occasions.

S Tysheem Johnson

Leads the team in interceptions with three, ranks second in tackles with 55 and always seems to know where to be in the back end.

–Penn State

QB Drew Allar

Allar completed 71.6 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,668 yards and 18 touchdowns against five interceptions during the regular season.

TE Tyler Warren

He has 81 receptions for 978 yards and six scores, topped by that memorable career-best outing of 17 catches for 224 yards against Southern California on Oct. 12.

DE Abdul Carter

Put together a dominant season that counts 19.5 tackles for loss, including 10 sacks, while terrorizing opposing offensive linemen.

Xs and Os:

The Ducks departed the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, where wins weren’t supposed to come so easily. But Oregon thrived in its new environment and has been the top team in the nation all season. No matter what happens in the conference title game, the Ducks are the team to beat in the 12-team playoff field.

One narrative Franklin despises is that his program beats all the teams it should and falls short in the big games. Well, here you go coach, a perfect chance to temporarily silence that chatter, especially since a win over the Ducks gives the Nittany Lions a first-round bye.

Prediction:

Oregon 41, Penn State 30

–Field Level Media