Who saw this one coming?

Penn State football will face Oregon in the Big Ten Championship at 8 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Nittany Lions were previously expected to miss out on the title matchup, but Michigan’s defeat of Ohio State on Saturday opened the door for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State beat out Indiana, which is expected to also finish 11-1, for a spot in the title game by a tiebreaker.

James Franklin’s Nittany Lions wrapped up their first 11-1 season since 2008 with a 44-7 win over Maryland in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions’ only loss of the season came to Ohio State.

Oregon is the only team left undefeated in the FBS and is atop the College Football Playoff rankings. The Ducks took down the Buckeyes with a 32-31 win in Eugene, Oregon.

With a win in the Big Ten Championship, the Nittany Lions would clinch a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. A loss leaves the Nittany Lions in uncertain territory, though they are expected to make the playoffs regardless.

The Nittany Lions haven’t played in the Big Ten Championship since 2016, when a 38-31 win over Wisconsin sent them to the Rose Bowl.

About the Author

Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email (jlister2021@gmail.com), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

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