INDIANAPOLIS – Top-ranked Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) will face No. 3 Penn State (11-1, 8-1) in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday. Here’s what you should know about the game.

No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Penn State, in Indianapolis

• Time & TV: Saturday, 5:00 p.m. PT (CBS)
• BetMGM college football odds: Oregon by 3 1/2.
• Series record: Penn State leads 3-1.

Both teams appear locked into the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff field, so this game will be about two things: winning a league title and postseason seeding. The winner will likely receive a first-round bye and possibly the No. 1 overall seed, while the loser will likely settle for hosting a first-round game. Big Ten newcomer Oregon is seeking its first conference title since winning the Pac-12 titles in 2019 and 2020 and has the longest winning streak in the country (13). Penn State’s last league title came in 2016.

Oregon run defense vs. Penn State ground game. Nittany Lions RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were a dynamic combination this year, totaling 1,431 yards and 12 scores. The emergence of TE Tyler Warren and backup QB Beau Pribula has added more elements to Penn State’s rushing attack. Oregon has been strong against the run all season, allowing just 112.2 yards per game (22nd in FBS). But if they have a hard time containing Singleton and Allen, the Nittany Lions could keep the ball away from the Ducks’ offense — a potentially game-changing turn of events.

Oregon: QB Dillon Gabriel. In a game featuring two of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, all eyes will be on Gabriel. The Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year was the catalyst for Oregon’s dynamic offense. The 23-year-old and FBS career leader in total TDs (183) is playing in his first conference championship game. He hopes to follow in the footsteps of fellow Hawaiian Marcus Mariota by leading the Ducks to a national championship game.

Pennsylvania state: DE Abdul Carter. The athletic junior has been a threat to opponents all year long, and the Nittany Lions need him to be just as effective. Carter leads the Nittany Lions with 10 sacks, ranks third in passes defensed (three) and is fourth in tackles (54). But statistics don’t tell the whole story. His presence gives others the opportunity to make plays, which could be a key factor in slowing the Ducks down.

This will be the first meeting in this series since Penn State completed its perfect season by winning the 1995 Rose Bowl 38-20. … It will also be the first Big Ten title game in which there are no division champions. … Oregon was No. 1 for seven straight weeks and was unanimously picked this week. They are also the last undefeated FBS team this season. It’s the Ducks’ first 12-0 season since 2010… The Nittany Lions made just one other Big Ten championship game appearance, defeating Wisconsin 38-31. … … Gabriel will make his 62nd career start, an FBS record. He leads the league in passing yards (3,275), while WR Tez Johnson ranks third in the conference with nine touchdown catches. … Warren broke the Big Ten’s single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 81. … Oregon DEs Matayo Uiagalelei and Jordan Burch combined for 19 sacks. … Franklin’s next win will be his 100th in the 11 seasons since he took over with the Nittany Lions.

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