INDIANAPOLIS – As green and yellow confetti rained down on the Lucas Oil Stadium turf and Oregon celebrated its Big Ten title, Penn State players experienced a variety of emotions. The eyes filled with tears. Screams of frustration echoed through the stadium tunnel.

The postgame scene was what you would expect from Penn State’s perspective as Saturday night turned into Sunday morning. The loss in the Big Ten championship game hurt.

It was about a bye in the first round of the College Football Playoff. But what struck a nerve was what it would have meant to beat Oregon. For a team that had already lost to Ohio State — and a program that consistently beat its toughest competition — this was an opportunity to beat the No. 1 team in the country. And the Nittany Lions narrowly lost.

Try telling Drew Allar, Tyler Warren and the Nittany Lions that conference championships don’t matter that much in the current college football landscape.

But the reality of the situation at Penn State is that this is nothing like previous seasons. The 2024 college football season isn’t over for the 11-2 Nittany Lions.

Penn State will find out its spot in the playoffs on Sunday when the CFP selection committee announces its final rankings. But regardless of where the Nittany Lions are ranked — regardless of who they play and where they play — they have a chance to win the national title.

That’s still on the table after the direct duel with Oregon. And that was the heartbroken message in a locker room at Penn State University in Indianapolis.

“We’re obviously disappointed we didn’t win,” Warren said after Penn State’s 45-37 loss to the Ducks. “But we understand that there is still a season to play and we still have a lot ahead of us. We’re just as in the race as everyone else.”

Penn State proved that against Oregon. The Nittany Lions brought the last undefeated team in the FBS to the brink. They had a chance to equalize in the dying embers of the game.

Sure, there’s disappointment that they didn’t make it. Because as frustrated as the fan base may be – given Saturday night and more generally given James Franklin’s 1-14 record against top-five teams – it hurts even more for the players.

It hurts that they made the mistakes they did. Allar threw two interceptions; The first allowed Oregon an easy touchdown and the second ended the game. The defense, which ranks sixth nationally in points allowed per game during the regular season, allowed 45 points – the most the Nittany Lions have allowed since the 2017 Rose Bowl loss to USC. Penn State committed four personal foul penalties in the first half, allowing Oregon to extend its early lead.

Dom DeLuca, a senior linebacker and captain, said the Nittany Lions “beat themselves.”

“But we have to be able to regroup,” DeLuca said. “We have to look in the mirror, improve and keep going for the rest of the season.”

“It’s a different generation of football,” added cornerback AJ Harris. “With the 12-team playoffs, we still have a chance that we have been working towards all season. It’s hard to take a loss like that, especially on this stage. But we have to put an end to it and look forward to the future.”

That’s what the Nittany Lions will be all about in the next few weeks. It’s about moving on. It’s about getting better. Ultimately, it’s about preparing for competition in the CFP.

“It’s about maintaining everyone’s beliefs and holding our heads high,” DeLuca added. “It’s a tough loss. You’re going to the Big Ten Championship. But we have to write our own script. We lost to the No. 1 team in the country, and we lost to the No. 3 team in the country. What will you tell your kids in 20 or 30 years, what happened in the 2024 season?”

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