The No. 1 Oregon Ducks defeated the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship Game at legendary Lucas Oil Stadium. The Ducks accomplished their mission of sweeping the Big Ten, remaining undefeated in their first season in the conference.

In a game that features surefire first-round draft picks and some of the best talent in the country, a 5’10, 165-pound wide receiver from Pinson, Alabama was the best player on the field. Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson was named MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game.

“It takes a lot of courage, but I know I had good faith in my teammates and in God. I am nothing without my teammates, and I am nothing without God. Words can’t even describe how I feel,” Tez Johnson said in the CBS field interview after the game.

Johnson dominated from start to finish and delivered a career-defining performance on the biggest stage of his career. The senior wide receiver hauled in 11 receptions, setting a Big Ten Championship Game record with 181 receiving yards and one touchdown reception. Johnson, who missed some time this season with a serious injury, was an explosive player on the field. However, when the lights shone brightest and his team needed him most to step up, he set a career-high in receiving yards.

Penn State’s defense entered the championship contest ranked fourth nationally in total defense, allowing 266 yards per game, eighth in the country in passing offense, allowing just 169 passing yards per game, and sixth in the Scoring defense where 14 points per game were allowed. Johnson exceeded his own average team points allowed and halved the total points allowed per game. To say it was a dominant performance is an understatement.

It didn’t matter whether it was man coverage or zone coverage, first down or third down, or whether Johnson hit the target on that play, his impact was felt. Having a human joystick to balance defenses with an extra body or a lightning strike to speed up the decision-making process is incredibly valuable. Johnson’s skillset is one of the calling cards of this Oregon team.

“It was very intense, but we do exercises like this every Tuesday. So for me it was like a normal Tuesday practice.” Johnson continued.

With the win, the Oregon Ducks became the first team in college football history to defeat Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State in the same season. Tez Johnson’s totals in these games? 29 receptions for 351 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. Johnson had his best game of his career tonight, but make no mistake, he’s been that guy all season.

When the College Football Playoff selection show begins in just under 12 hours, Oregon will be the No. 1 seed with a bye week. The Ducks are poised to compete for a national championship, and they’ll face one of the country’s biggest matchup nightmares every step of the way.