INDIANAPOLIS – Dillon Gabriel threw four touchdown passes and No. 1 Oregon edged No. 3 Penn State 45-37 in the Big Ten championship Saturday night, giving the Ducks a first-round bye and almost certainly the first Placed in the College Football Playoff.

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 by repelling Drew Allar’s pass with 1:54 left in a wild, crazy championship weekend.

Jordan James ran for two points and helped Oregon win its first Pac-12 championship since 2020 in its first year in the Big Ten.

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

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 yards and Tez Johnson caught 11 passes for 181 yards and a TD.

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.