INDIANAPOLIS — No. 3 Penn State couldn’t make the most of the moment Saturday night in the Big Ten Championship Game against No. 1 Oregon.
It was a case of “opportunity had, opportunity missed.”
Ohio State opened the door for the Penn State to win its first conference championship since 2016 in dramatic fashion but the Ducks closed it.
Oregon won an instant classic 45-37 and claimed its first title its first league campaign, remaining undefeated.
Penn State entered the weekend as one of the nation’s top three teams and a five seed in the College Football Playoff. If the season ended right then, Penn State would be hosting Big 12 champ Arizona State, followed by a battle with Boise State should it have won in the first round.
Sounds like a good path, right?
A second loss and trailing by double digits for most of the Oregon game will likely cost Penn State in the rankings. But should it?
The expanded playoff opens possibilities and questions surrounding conference championship games. Should Penn State be punished for losing to the only undefeated team in the country by one score? Should Penn State drop below Ohio State and in the rankings? One has a worse loss and the other doesn’t even want to join a conference.
Honestly, no. Penn State shouldn’t be punished. PSU’s two losses were to, at the time, two top 5 teams. Its resume and strength of schedule are better than Notre Dame, even with the Oregon loss. The Irish’s loss to Northern Illinois should be all but forgiven.
Ohio State lost to Oregon in Eugene, but lost at home to a 6-5 Michigan team as a 19.5-point favorite. I know it’s a rivalry game and typically always close, but Ohio State fans were walking around Indy Saturday so confident the Buckeyes would play they bought their tickets weeks ago.
Should Penn State be punished for having to play an extra game when Notre Dame, Ohio State, Indiana and others sat idle? I love conference championship games and think they hold significant value to the sport and many programs, but I wonder if the risk is worth the reward.
A win would have catapulted Penn State likely to the top seed in the playoffs, a bye in the first round and a trip to the Rose Bowl. A loss now puts PSU anywhere between 5-8 and still hosting a home playoff game.
Drew Allar threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns despite two interactions, the second sealing the game for Oregon on a questionable jump ball for Harrison Wallace. Allar’s touchdown to Wallace on 4th and 10 to keep the game alive was one of the wildest and most athletic plays of the season.
WHILE THEY WERE HOLDING ONTO ALLAR'S JERSEY HE THROWS A TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/zPO3GAVmy1
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 8, 2024
Penn State had more first downs, total yards, and over 100 more rushing yards. Both Kaytron Allen (125) and Nick Singleton (105) eclipsed 100 yards.
Andy Kotelnicki is one of the most unique, creative and innovative coordinators in the country, so much that he’s a finalist for the West Virginia vacancy.
A few negatives: There’s no denying Tom Allen’s defense didn’t do its job tonight and a significant disappointment in an instant classic at Lucas Oil Stadium. If you want to throw salt in the wound and play devils advocate, Abdul Carter had four tackles but no sacks and both him and Dani Dennis-Sutton applied little to no pressure on the quarterback.
James Franklin is now 1-14 all time against top 5 teams. Will that change? It hasn’t in two chances this year.
Oregon utilized the middle of the field like a work of art, took advantage of opportunities, and capitalized on mistakes. They deserve full credit for the win and are the team to beat in college football.
It was also one of the most absurdly bizzare refereed game I’ve seen in quite some time, but that’s besides the point.
Despite all of this, Penn State stayed in the fight against a team unblemished and had a chance to tie in the final two minutes.
Is this a national championship team? Probably not. Is it one deserving of a 5 seed, maybe 6 seed in the playoffs? Undeniably. CBS Sports projected the Nittany Lions to be a 7 seed. We can have the conference championship debate another day.
Oregon proved it’s worthy of the No. 1 ranking, but Penn State proved itself too. Franklin remains in need of a statement top 5 win and should get the opportunity for it this winter.
When the selection committee makes its final decisions by noon Sunday, Penn State shouldn’t be penalized significant spots when Texas blew a lead against Georgia and a backup quarterback. The Nittany Lions should be a 5 seed or a 6. Anything else, the committee got it all wrong.
