Photo by Marc Lebryk

GAME STATISTICS

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes and No. 1 Oregon topped No. 3 Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday night, giving the Ducks a bye in the first round and almost certainly the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs.

The Ducks (13-0, No. 1 CFP) are the only undefeated team in FBS – barely. They nearly blew a 15-point lead in the final four minutes and ended the Nittany Lions’ last gasp with Nikko Reed intercepting Drew Allar’s pass with 1:54 left in a wild, crazy championship weekend.

Jordan James had two points to help Oregon win its first Pac-12 championship since 2020 in its first year in the Big Ten. Tez Johnson was named the game’s MVP after catching 11 passes for 181 yards and a score.

“These guys can make it to the end if they keep working, and I can guarantee you they will keep working,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said.

Penn State (11-2, No. 3 CFP) is also expected to reach the first 12-team playoff field, although its four-game winning streak was snapped after failing to win one early in the fourth quarter Implement a 2-point conversion – leaving the score 38-30 behind.

Oregon capped the ensuing 75-yard drive with James’ 12-yard TD run to make it 45-30 with 7:28 left.

But Allar responded with a nifty 14-yard TD pass to Harrison Wallace III with 3:41 to play, and Penn State forced a punt, giving Allar another chance to tie the score.

Gabriel finished 22 of 32 for 283 yards and connected with Kenyon Sadiq twice in the first half as the teams combined for a championship game record 55 points. The previous mark of 52 dates back to 2012.

Sadiq had just two catches in the game – he got past a defender on the way to his first goal. James ran 20 times for 87.

Allar was 20 of 39 for 236 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Kaytron Allen had 14 carries for 124 yards and a score, and Nicolas Singleton carried 10 carries for 101 yards and caught a TD pass. Tyler Warren had seven receptions for 64 yards.

Both teams achieved their highest points this season.