No. 1 Oregon are expected to remain the top seed when the College Football Playoff bracket is announced Sunday after the Ducks beat No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten championship. The Ducks will also have a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
This is Oregon’s first season in the conference after spending nearly six decades in the Pac-12, and the Ducks made their mark, going 13-0 and 9-0 in the Big Ten.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has been viewed as a Heisman Trophy contender in his only season with the Ducks and looked like one Saturday.
Celebrate Oregon’s Big Ten title with this new book
Gabriel completed 22 of 32 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Tez Johnson set a new Big Ten Championship game record with 181 receiving yards. Johnson was the game’s MVP.
Updates and highlights from the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis:
Final: Oregon 45, Penn State 37
Dillon Gabriel and the Oregon Ducks beat Penn State to win the Big Ten Championship on Saturday. The Ducks remain unbeaten.
Drew Allar throws a costly interception
Oregon’s Nikko Reed intercepts Drew Allar’s pass, which may have been enough to put the game out of reach for Penn State with less than two minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.
Penn State makes it a one-score game
Drew Allar finds Harrison Wallace III for a 14-yard touchdown with two defenders on him. PAT good.
Jordan James increases the lead for the Ducks
Jordan James scores on a 3-yard run to cap off a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Oregon leads Penn State 45-30 with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter.
Kaytron Allen scores for Penn State
The Nittany Lions running back scored on a 1-yard run with 14:17 left in the fourth quarter. Penn State failed to score on the two-point conversation attempt. Oregon leads Penn State 38-30.
End of 3rd quarter: Oregon 38, Penn State 24
The Ducks have held the lead through the first three quarters of the game. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 17 of 26 points for 233 yards and four touchdowns. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar completed 15 for 29 points for 180 yards for two touchdowns and an interception.
Oregon scores quickly in the third quarter
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks wasted little time scoring on their first possession in the third quarter. Gabriel found Tez Johnson in the middle of the field for a 48-yard touchdown. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. The Ducks started the drive with plays of 11 yards and 17 yards respectively. Oregon leads Penn State 38-24 with 7:36 left in the third quarter.
Penn State misses field goal
Penn State drove 52 yards down the field on the opening drive of the second half only to come up empty after Ryan Baker missed a 40-yard field goal attempt.
HALFTIME: Oregon 31, Penn State 24
Atticus Sappington’s 32-yard field goal attempt was good after Penn State held the Ducks out of the red zone.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks have held the lead throughout the first half. Quarterback Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions overcame some early mistakes to keep it a seven-point game.
Penn State will receive the ball to start the second half.
Drew Allar scores to help cut Oregon’s lead
Penn State’s Drew Allar scores on a 7-yard quarterback keeper to end the 64-yard drive with a touchdown. PAT good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-24 with 1:53 left in the first half.
Allar helped extend the drive with a 19-yard pass to tight end Tyler Warren for a first down.
Drew Allar, Penn State’s offense bounced back
The Nittany Lions shake off the interception from the previous possession as Drew Allar leads his offense 75 yards down the field in eight plays. Allar completes a 22-yard touchdown pass to Omari Evans. PAT good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-17 with 6:41 left in the second quarter.
Drew Allar’s pass was intercepted, Oregon capitalized
Drew Allar’s pass was intercepted by Oregon’s Dontae Manning. Manning returned the ball 24 yards before he was tackled on the 1-yard line, just missing an opportunity to score.
Jordan James scores on the next play with a 1-yard touchdown run. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. Oregon leads Penn State 28-10 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
Oregon, Penn State forced to punt
Penn State has the first punt of the game. The two teams produced a combined five consecutive scoring drives. Oregon’s offensive drive was also stalled on its next possession.
Oregon leads Penn State 21-10 with 10:22 left in the first half.
Oregon keeps rolling to start the second quarter
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completes a 4-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Ferguson. Atticus Sappington’s PAT attempt was good. It is the third consecutive touchdown drive for the Ducks.
Oregon leads Penn State 21-10 with 13:04 left in the second quarter. Gabriel connected with Tez Johnson for 24-yard and 31-yard passes during the drive.
Penn State answers back with a score
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar found running back Nick Singleton for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:24 left in the game. Ryan Barker’s PAT attempt was good. Oregon leads Penn State 14-10. Allar completed a 28-yard pass to standout tight end Tyler Warren before the touchdown score.
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon off to a fast start
Quarterback Dillion Gabriel and the Ducks score on their second consecutive drive to start the game.
Gabriel finds Kenyon Sadiq for a 2-yard touchdown. It was the duo’s second touchdown of the night. Atticus Sappington’s PAT was good. The Ducks lead Penn State 14-3 with 3:21 left in the first quarter.
Penn State cuts into Oregon’s lead
Kicker Ryan Barker made a 33-yard field goal attempt for Penn State. The Ducks lead the Nittany Lions 7-3 with 7:30 left in the first quarter. It was an eight-play, 59-yard drive (3:10 time of possession).
Running back Nick Singleton played a key role on the drive with a 46-yard run.
Oregon takes early lead
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel completes a pass to Kenyon Sadiq, who hurdled a defender before scoring on the 28-yard touchdown play to finish the opening drive of the game. Atticus Sappington’s PAT attempt was good. It was a nine-play 84-yard drive that leaves 10:40 left in the first quarter.
It was Oregon’s eighth opening-drive touchdown of the season, which is tied for second most in the country.
Battle for the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs
With Georgia defeating No. 2 Texas in overtime, the top seed in the CFP will likely go to the winner of the Penn State-Oregon tonight.
When is Big Ten championship game between Oregon and Penn State?
The kickoff for the Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis is Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch Oregon vs. Penn State in Big Ten championship
The Big Ten championship game between No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State will be televised nationally on CBS.
Live streaming is available on Paramount+ and Fubo.
Catch Oregon vs. Penn State on Fubo
College football Week 15 schedule, conference championship games
Here are the kickoff times and TV info for Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern):
Jacksonville State Gamecocks beats Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 52-12
No. 10 Boise State Broncos beats No. 19 UNLV Rebels, 21-7
No. 23 Army West Point Black Knights beats Tulane Green Wave, 35-14
No. 13 Arizona State Sun Devils beats No. 16 Iowa State Cyclones, 45-19
Ohio Bobcats beats Miami (OH) RedHawks, 38-3
Jackson State Tigers beats Southern University Jaguars, 41-13
No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs beats No. 2 Texas Longhorns, 22-19
Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.
No. 17 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 7 SMU Mustangs, ABC, 8 p.m.
No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions vs. No. 1 Oregon Ducks, CBS, 8 p.m.
College football picks Week 15
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for all of Saturday’s ranked Week 14 games.
Penn State vs. Oregon odds, line for Big Ten Championship
The Oregon Ducks are the favorites to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions in Saturday’s college football matchup, according to the BetMGM college football odds on Dec. 5.
Spread: Oregon (-3.5)
Moneyline: Oregon (-185); Penn State (+150)
Over/under: 50.5
College GameDay at Week 15: Timothée Chalamet shines
Penn State vs. Oregon all-time record
The Oregon Ducks have played the Penn State Nittany Lions four times since their first matchup in 1960. Penn State leads the all-time series with a 3-1 record.
In their most recent encounter in 1995, the Nittany Lions won 38-20.
College Football Playoff bracket scenarios. Five possible outcomes this weekend
The College Football Playoff selection committee is hoping for a paint-by-numbers Sunday that sees no changes from the penultimate rankings and, most critically, avoids any major outrage over the debut 12-team bracket.
Committee chairman Warde Manuel implied teams already in the clubhouse —such as Ohio State, Tennessee and Indiana — won’t be rearranged after conference championship weekend, though SMU could move up the rankings by beating Clemson to win the ACC.
While there are only so many possibilities that could unfold, the potential for a predictable bracket would be upended by one or more upsets on Friday and Saturday. Here are five scenarios still on the table leading into the final rankings and playoff matchups. — Paul Myerberg
College Football Fix podcast
Looking ahead to the weekend’s nine conference championship games, there will be top-five matchups in the Big Ten and SEC. The Big 12 will settle its entry into the playoff, while the Mountain West likely determines the Group of Five participant. Who will emerge victorious this weekend?
US LBM Coaches Poll
The US LBM Coaches Poll for Week 15 is out after some unexpected results last week, and the top looks different from the preseason version. Here is how the top-25 shapes out ahead of Saturday’s action.
College football bowl projections
Sometimes the penultimate weekend of the college football season can make the playoff picture clearer. There are just a handful of championship games left and a finite amount of results combinations can make things easier to predict.
That’s not the case this year, even with the expanded 12-team field in place for the first time. There are at-large candidates with their regular season over and how the committee will sort them is anybody’s guess. There’s five conferences vying for first-round byes and the championship games will sort out those races. And how the seeding among all these teams are impacted by the games this weekend is unclear. — Erick Smith
College football Re-Rank 1-134
Texas climbs to No. 2, Ohio State drops to No. 7 and the reputation of the ACC takes a big hit in this week’s USA TODAY Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-134 after some wild results on rivalry weekend. — Paul Myerberg
College football 2024 season predictions
The experts at USA TODAY Sports offer predictions for the season ahead, including which 12 teams will make the College Football Playoff. Who wins the national championship?
Scooby Axson: Ohio State
Jordan Mendoza: Oregon
Paul Myerberg: Georgia
Erick Smith: Georgia
Eddie Timanus: Ohio State
Dan Wolken: Ohio State
How many teams in College Football Playoff 2024?
In the 2024-25 season, 12 teams will qualify for the College Football Playoff. The top five conference champions will earn automatic bids, with the top four earning a first-round bye. The remaining seven highest-ranked teams will complete the 12-team field.
How does College Football Playoff format work?
The 12 participating teams in the College Football Playoff bracket will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, and the next seven highest-ranked teams.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will be seeded one through four and receive a first-round bye. The fifth conference champion will be seeded where it was ranked or at No. 12 if it is outside the top 12 in the CFP rankings. Non-conference champions ranked in the top four will be seeded beginning at No. 5.
‘Because of this,’ the CFP warns on its website, ‘the seeding, 1 through 12, could look different than the final rankings.’
When College Football Playoff rankings come out
The final of six College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings will be released on Sunday, Dec. 8, after Week 15 games at 12 p.m. ET.
How to watch College Football Playoff rankings show
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 8
Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Stream: Fubo
Watch the CFP Rankings Show on ESPN with a Fubo subscription
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
