INDIANAPOLIS | Penn State coach James Franklin left the field at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday with his two daughters and a dejected player. Offensive lineman Vega Ioane stood on the field as Oregon celebrated its 45-37 victory over the Nittany Lions and slowly walked toward the tunnel. Holding hands with a daughter, Franklin patted Ioane on the shoulder and led him up the ramp.

So began about 45 dazed and confused minutes before the Nittany Lions boarded their buses to begin an uncertain playoff wait.

“It’s disgusting because we were determined to win and have the confetti fall on us,” Penn State cornerback AJ Harris said. “But we just understand that we are still not far from our main goal. For us to play in a ballgame like this with the No. 1 team in the country, I think we definitely have more to show and more work to do.”

For Penn State, Saturday’s 45-37 loss to top-ranked Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game felt like a missed opportunity. The Nittany Lions had a chance to make a national statement by defeating a No. 1 team for the first time since 1990. They could have secured the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff and trumped their arrival at the game’s elite bracket.

Instead, Penn State was defeated by Oregon’s F1 offense, which they still outscored 518-466, and committed the game’s only two turnovers. The last one, a phenomenal interception by Oregon’s Nikko Reed against Trey Wallace in the fourth quarter, effectively ended the game. Reed had previously been beaten for a touchdown, which he realized in that moment.

“Everyone thought we needed a turnover to win the game and they just happened to throw it to me again,” Reed said. “It just wasn’t what they wanted.”

A statement that captured the evening at Penn State. So many moments weren’t what Penn State wanted. The Nittany Lions were often spectacular, rushing for an incredible 292 yards, an average of 8.3 yards per attempt, fighting back from an 18-point deficit and a 15-point deficit to bring the game to within one possession bring. Each time, Oregon countered just enough. As a result, music and cigar smoke drifted from the Ducks’ locker room while a screaming voice pierced Penn State’s silence.

“Damned!” a player shouted as a door opened between the interview room and the Penn State locker room.

Much of the scene surrounding Penn State’s locker room was filled with a zombie daze. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, holding a pizza box, walked slowly into the waiting arms of former Penn State offensive coordinator (and current Old Dominion head coach) Ricky Rahne, who comforted more than a few players. The frustration was palpable, even in Penn State coach James Franklin’s postgame media session.

Franklin, who addressed his Concerns about the officiating of the gamehad just finished a composed opening statement and was about to answer questions when Oregon’s band began playing on the field. The sound echoed through the interview room, causing a pause in the questions.

“I don’t have a problem with them celebrating,” Franklin said in his postgame press conference, “but this is kind of a JV setup.”

Quarterback Drew Allar laughed, a brief flash of lightheartedness in the otherwise bitter minutes. That interception, on a deep route to Wallace with two minutes left, ended Penn State’s chances of tying the game. Allar, who made some elite throws but was also intercepted twice, was desperate to get the ball back.

“I saw him (Reed) holding and not getting any depth and trying to give Trey a chance,” said Allar, who finished 20 of 39 for 226 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. “I need (Wallace) to do a better job, no one else.”

That feeling was felt throughout Penn State’s lineup. The Nittany Lions felt like they were going straight to the top with college football’s only undefeated team, taking as many hits as they took but buckling under their own mistakes.

“To be completely honest, we made a lot of mistakes too,” Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said. “It’s thanks to them. When you have such a talented team and play at an elite level, the margin for error is very, very small. Coach Franklin pointed this out after the game. The margin of error is so small, so slim in these games that it makes the difference.

Some of these mistakes were attributable to the coaching staff. Franklin defended his decision to go for a 2-point conversion in the second half with an eight-point deficit, pointing out that it was a path to a regulation win. However, Franklin didn’t address the play itself, a reverse-option pass that tight end Tyler Warren tried to throw to Allar. Warren was caught between decisions and slid to the ground.

And in the fourth quarter, Penn State running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who combined for 229 of Penn State’s 292 yards, each touched the ball once. Allen scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Singleton ran 9 yards on the play before Allar intercepted him. Allar was 5 of 10 for 46 yards and the interception in the fourth quarter.

“I feel like we’ve proven to the country that we definitely belong,” Harris said. “At this point, we just have to stop these ballgames.”

When the music of Oregon’s band stopped echoing through the interview room, Franklin argued why Penn State should get a higher seeded home game. The Nittany Lions will compete with Texas, Notre Dame and Ohio State for a spot among the 5-8 seed hosts for the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Penn State is almost certain to host a first-round game on Dec. 20 or 21 at Beaver Stadium. But Franklin tried to remind the selection committee of his team’s resume as a precaution.

“Do I think our resume matches anyone else’s in the country? Yes, I think that’s true,” Franklin said. “Again we lost by one possession to the No. 1 team in the country. And I think earlier in the season we lost to the No. 3 team in the country, if I remember correctly. Is that right? A So I don’t think there’s anyone in the country who has a resume like that in the Big Ten, arguably the best conference in all of college football.

More Penn State football

Oregon defeats Penn State 45-37 to win the Big Ten title as a first-year member

What they said about the Big Ten Championship Game

Big Ten schedules Penn State-Oregon regular-season rematch for September 2025