INDIANAPOLIS – From the moment a giant inflatable duck floated down the White River within a few blocks of Lucas Oil Stadium, Oregon’s football program had the Big Ten in its sights.
It was on football media days in July when the Ducks preceded their formal Big Ten induction with that humorous face. But it was also symbolic. The Ducks had no plans to meekly waddle into their new conference. No one would overlook them, and with their dazzling excellence, no one could.
Near midnight Saturday, confetti fell, swirled and stirred beneath the No. 1 Ducks after a 45-37 victory against No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten title game. The victory was both exciting and consequential. It secures Oregon the No. 1 overall spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and a national quarterfinal appearance in the Rose Bowl.
And it’s not done yet. Not by a long shot. The Big Ten invited Oregon to join the conference for just 16 months and the school held the conference hostage. Now the Ducks want to win it all.
“That’s something we started at the beginning of the season, talking about how you get the opportunity to go into a new environment and somewhere you maybe didn’t belong and get a chance to transition into that environment take,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We said this is the final step to become that. I’m really proud that our guys have taken this idea and are building on it.”
“It all comes down to this moment,” said quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw four touchdown passes and 283 yards. “We have a lot more to go, but we are going to enjoy it.”
GO DEEPER
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No expansion team in the previous 128 Big Ten football seasons won an outright championship during its inaugural campaign. It wasn’t until 1900 (Iowa) and 1953 (Michigan State) that an expansion team tied for the championship in Year 1, but neither was flawless. In fact, no power conference team had ever gone wire-to-wire undefeated in their first season in a new conference.
But this Oregon team is different, and now it owns that piece of history all to itself. The Ducks did it with swagger, which they showed on that warm July day. As Oregon has shown many times over the years, it has speed and efficiency on offense. Against the Nittany Lions, the Ducks swung with plenty of power when needed. Most importantly, they showed that they can win in any style they want.
TEZ JOHNSON HAS A GAME OF HIMSELF 🔥 🔥
A 48-YARD RECEIVING TOUCHDOWN TO PUT OREGON AT 14 😤 pic.twitter.com/SilvAkyZMt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2024
Wide receiver Tez Johnson was a difference maker against the Nittany Lions with both his elusiveness and speed. He caught 11 passes for 181 yards, and his 48-yard touchdown reception pushed the Ducks to a 38–24 lead early in the third quarter. Gabriel scrambled to his left and found Johnson at the 26-yard line. Johnson turned left, split Penn State defensive backs Zakee Wheatley and Elliot Washington II and raced untouched to the end zone.
“They do a really good job of making it a space play,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “They have three wide receivers who present a challenge; 15 (Johnson) is a real challenge in space. They have a very good running back. And they have a quarterback who is poised and confident.”
In what became the most important drive of the game, the Ducks started with an eight-point lead of their own early in the fourth quarter. Twice they converted on third down, once with Gabriel connecting with running back Jordan James in the flat for 11 yards, and then on third-and-9 when Gabriel Johnson hit a crossing route for 15 yards. Facing fourth and second on the Penn State 35, Lanning gambled. Gabriel dropped back and found Terrance Ferguson on a 30-yard in route. Two plays later, Oregon was in the end zone on James’ second touchdown run and extended the lead to 45-30.
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“To be honest, they sped up our defense,” Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said. “That’s a credit to their offensive coordinator. They did a fantastic job of accelerating us.”
What Oregon was asked to do in the Big Ten and still come through unscathed was extraordinary. This was a good Big Ten season, especially at the top, and Oregon was presented with a gauntlet of a schedule. The Ducks played both of last year’s CFP finalists and defeated both by a combined seven touchdowns. They faced Ohio State at home and survived by one point, beating a ranked Illinois team, which finished 9-3, by 29 points. They held on for dear life in a night game against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium and topped No. 3 Penn State for the Big Ten title. Even in non-conference action, Oregon played its rival and won by five touchdowns, using a last-second field goal to beat Boise State, which will likely get a Playoff bye.
“I’m just so proud of our team.”
Dan Lanning joins @jennydell_ after @oregonfootball closed his first @bigten season as champion. pic.twitter.com/lmcCz1WIkc
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024
After presenting Lanning with the Big Ten championship trophy, commissioner Tony Petitti left the stage, walked to the side and took pictures of the celebration with his cell phone. Players and staff members cry as they don Big Ten championship T-shirts and hats. Fans sang “Let’s Go Ducks” as Lanning, Gabriel and Johnson took turns on the Big Ten Network set.
“If you take a step back and look at the moments we’ve had this season, our big players have made big strides in those moments,” Lanning said. “I love that part of it.”
They survived. They flourished. And they’re not done yet.
(Photo: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)