Big Ten Championship Game: Penn State vs. Oregon

No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State play for the Big Ten championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis tonight. The winner receives a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

This is first time the Ducks (12-0) will play the Nittany Lions (11-1) since 1995. While a victory for the Ducks isn’t unlikely, this game will be one of the biggest challenges for coach Dan Lanning. Both teams completed the regular season, almost, unscathed — one major difference between the two is that Penn State lost to Ohio State, a team that Oregon beat.

SEE Y⚪️U IN INDY pic.twitter.com/7CqEM5BbKM

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 5, 2024

Who to Look for

Abdul Carter: Plays defensive end for Penn State and has 10 sacks on the year. He leads the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss and will most likely be double-teamed. Carter’s biggest responsibility will be getting to the quarterback consistently and if he does, this will cause challenges for Oregon.

Matayo Uiagalelei: Plays defensive end for Oregon and is one of the most dynamic pass rushers as a sophomore. This game could be crucial for the Ducks as the Nittany Lions are down right tackle starter Anthony Donkoh due to an injury. This will be a major test to the Duck’s defense.

Dillon Gabriel: Is Oregon’s quarterback in his sixth season of college football after transferring from the UCF niversity and Oklahoma. He has remained with the Ducks since December 2023. Gabriel was named the 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

QB1. @OregonFootball's Dillon Gabriel has been named the 2024 @B1Gfootball Offensive Player of the Year. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ZMYGCy6flI

— GoDucks (@GoDucks) December 3, 2024

Game Predictions

This game is a hard one to predict given the fact both teams are exceptional. Both coaches were capable of getting their teams to the Big Ten Championship Game and are expected to play in the College Football Playoff. The fact is coach James Franklin is looking for Penn State’s first conference title since 2016, while Oregon’s last title was in 2020. Franklin is aware of Oregon’s defensive success that has come with this season and plans to utilize it.

“Coach Lanning has done a great job there … Dan’s taking it to the next level, they’ve done a phenomenal job,” Franklin said. “It’s also a place with tremendous resources as well and they’ve built that thing to compete at the highest level.”

What it comes down to is the final seconds – who will take their team to victory? Ultimately it is Oregon; the Ducks have remained undefeated throughout the season and have had a superior season on both offense and defense.

Where to Watch

The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS & Paramount+.