INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes and No. 1 Oregon outlasted No. 3 Penn State 45-37 on Saturday night in the Big Ten championship, giving the Ducks a first-round bye and almost certainly the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks (13-0, No. 1 CFP) nearly blew a 15-point lead in the final four minutes, ending the Nittany Lions’ last gasp by picking off Drew Allar’s pass with 1:54 left. Jordan James ran for for two scores to help Oregon win its first league title since 2020 in the Pac-12, this one coming in its first year in the Big Ten. Penn State (11-2, No. 3 CFP) also is expected to make the playoff field.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oregon and Penn State piled up seven touchdowns, 537 yards, 28 first downs and 55 points in the Big Ten title game. That was in the first half. The top-ranked Ducks headed into halftime with a 31-24 lead. The 55 points broke a first-half scoring record for the title game that had belonged to Nebraska and Wisconsin, who combined for 52 points in 2012.