The Penn State Nittany Lions are set to take on the top-ranked Oregon Ducks in the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis on Saturday.
At 12-0, Oregon is ranked No. 1 overall and is the only undefeated team remaining. With a win, the conference champion secures a first-round bye and will not play again until Dec. 31 or Jan. 1.
Penn State finished the season with an 11-1 overall record. This will be the first appearance for the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten Championship game since 2016 and only the second appearance in program history. PSU clinched its spot in the Big Ten Championship with a 44-7 blowout win over Maryland at Beaver Stadium last weekend. That win, coupled with a shocking Ohio State loss to Michigan, catapulted Penn State into the championship game.
Nittany Lions coach James Franklin does not have a history of success against top-five opponents. In Franklin’s 11-year tenure at Penn State, he has just one win against a top-five team. The only game Penn State lost this season came at the hands of then top-five Ohio State in November. But to the Nittany Lions’ credit, they did not fall victim to upsets this season. The offense, led by Drew Allar, the running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and star tight end Tyler Warren helped lead the team to many strong victories. In the past 18 games, Warren has tallied at least one reception of 14-plus yards and his 17 touchdowns are tied for eighth-most in program history. But if Franklin is going to silence the doubters, he must win Saturday’s game.
Oregon meanwhile has been nothing short of dominant all year. The Ducks picked up a marquee win at home over Ohio State in Week 7 and eclipsed the 30-point mark in 10 of its 12 games this season. Oregon also has one of the top QBs in college football in Dillon Gabriel.
If Oregon wins, it would be the sixth time in history that a team beat Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State in the same season. The previous five times were all done by Michigan State (1951, 1965, 1966, 1999, 2015). Saturday’s winner of the Big Ten Championship will mark the first time a team not named Ohio State or Michigan has won since 2016.
The Big Ten Championship will be the fifth meeting between Penn State and Oregon, and the first since the 1995 Rose Bowl. Penn State won that game 38-20 and has won three of the previous four matchups between the two teams. Oregon is also only one of five teams to reach a conference championship game in their first season in a league this year, alongside Arizona State, Army, SMU and Texas.
How to watch Penn State vs. Oregon College Football
- Date: Saturday, December 7th
- Time: 8 pm ET
- TV Network: CBS
- Streaming: Paramount+
What is the 2024 college football conference championship schedule?
Friday:
Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State (CUSA Championship), 7 p.m., CBSSN
UNLV vs. Boise State (Mountain West Championship), 8 p.m., Fox
Tulane vs. Army (AAC Championship), 8 p.m., ABC
Saturday
Iowa State vs. Arizona State (Big 12 Championship), noon, ABC
Ohio vs. Miami (OH) (MAC Championship), noon, ESPN
Georgia vs. Texas (SEC Championship), 4 p.m., ABC
Marshall vs. Louisiana (Sun Belt Championship), 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Penn State vs. Oregon (Big Ten Championship), 8 p.m., CBS
Clemson vs. SMU (ACC Championship), 8 p.m., ABC
How to watch College Football on Peacock
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