Oregon rolls through rugged schedule in first Big Ten season. Now, it wants to win it all

INDIANAPOLIS — From the moment a giant inflatable duck floated along the White River within a few blocks of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Oregon football program had the Big Ten within its sights.

It was at football media days back in July when the Ducks preceded their formal Big Ten introduction with that humorous sight. But it also was symbolic. The Ducks had no plans to meekly waddle into their new conference. Nobody was going to overlook them, and with their dazzling excellence, nobody could.

By midnight Saturday, confetti fell, swirled and stirred among the No. 1 Ducks after a 45-37 win against No. 3 Penn State in the Big Ten title game. The victory was both electrifying and consequential. It ensures Oregon of the No. 1 overall spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and a national quarterfinal in the Rose Bowl.

And it’s not done yet. Not by a long shot. The Big Ten invited Oregon to join the conference barely 16 months and the school took it hostage. Now, the Ducks have eyes on winning it all.

“That’s something we started at the beginning of the season, talking about how you get an opportunity to invade a new environment and somewhere maybe you didn’t belong and get the opportunity to take over that environment,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We said this is the last step for us to become that. I’m really proud of our guys buying into that thought and building off of it.”

“It all adds up to this moment,” said quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw four touchdown passes and 283 yards. “We have a lot more to go, but we are going to enjoy this one.”

GO DEEPER

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No expansion team in the Big Ten’s previous 128 football seasons won an outright league championship in its inaugural campaign. Only in 1900 (Iowa) and 1953 (Michigan State) did an expansion team tie for the league championship in Year 1 but neither were unblemished. In fact, no power-conference team ever had gone wire-to-wire unbeaten in their first season in a new conference.

But this Oregon team is different, and now it owns that piece of history all to itself. The Ducks did it with swagger, which they displayed on that hot day in July. As Oregon has demonstrated many times over the years, it has speed and efficiency on offense. Against the Nittany Lions, the Ducks brandished enough power when required. Most importantly, they showed they can win in any style necessary.

TEZ JOHNSON IS HAVING HIMSELF A GAME 🔥 🔥

A 48-YARD RECEIVING TOUCHDOWN TO PUT OREGON UP 14 😤 pic.twitter.com/SilvAkyZMt

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 8, 2024

Wide receiver Tez Johnson was a difference-maker against the Nittany Lions with both his elusiveness and speed. He caught 11 passes for 181 yards, and his 48-yard touchdown reception pushed the Ducks to a 38-24 lead early in the third quarter. Gabriel scrambled to his left and found Johnson at the 26-yard line. Johnson spun to his left, split Penn State defensive backs Zakee Wheatley and Elliot Washington II and raced untouched to the end zone.

“They do a really good job of making it a space game,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “They got three wide receivers that are challenging; 15 (Johnson) is really challenging in space. They’ve got a really good running back. And they’ve got a quarterback that is poised and confident.”

In what became the game’s most important drive, the Ducks started on their own 25 leading by eight points early in the fourth quarter. Twice they converted on third down, once with Gabriel connecting with running back Jordan James in the flat for 11 yards, then on third-and-9 when Gabriel hit Johnson a 15-yard crossing route. When facing fourth-and-2 at the Penn State 35, Lanning gambled. Gabriel dropped back and found tight end Terrance Ferguson on an in route for 30 yards. Two plays later, Oregon was in the end zone on James’ second touchdown run to stretch its lead to 45-30.

“To be quite frank, they sped up our defense,” Penn State defensive tackle Dvon J-Thomas said. “That’s a credit to their offensive coordinator. They did an incredible job of speeding us up.”

What Oregon was asked to do in the Big Ten and still come through unscathed was extraordinary. This was a good Big Ten season, especially at the top, and Oregon was given a gauntlet of a schedule. The Ducks played both of last year’s CFP finalists and beat both by a combined seven touchdowns. They faced Ohio State at home and survived by a point, and beat a ranked Illinois team, which finished 9-3, by 29 points. They held on for dear life in a night game against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium and topped No. 3 Penn State for the Big Ten title. Even in nonconference action, Oregon played its instate rival and won by five touchdowns, and used a last-second field goal to beat Boise State, which is likely to receive a Playoff bye.

“I’m just so proud of our team.”

Dan Lanning joins @jennydell_ after @oregonfootball capped off its first @bigten season as champions. pic.twitter.com/lmcCz1WIkc

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024

After handing Lanning the Big Ten championship trophy, commissioner Tony Petitti left the stage, walked around to the side and took pictures of the celebration with his cell phone. Players and staffers shed tears while donning Big Ten championship T-shirts and hats. Fans chanted “Let’s Go Ducks” as Lanning, Gabriel and Johnson each took turns on the Big Ten Network set.

“As you just take a step back and look at the moments we’ve had this season, our big-time players made big-time plays in these moments,” Lanning said. “I love that part about it.”

They survived. They thrived. And they’re not done yet.

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)