For the second time in the James Franklin era, the Penn State Nittany Lions will be competing for a Big Ten Championship. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions dominated a mostly lifeless Maryland Terrapins team to the tune of (SCORE).
The win was the Nittany Linos' fourth straight since a loss to Ohio State earlier this month and their 11th win of the season, giving the program their first 11-win regular season since the 2008 season.
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Now, with their tickets booked to Indianapolis, the Nittany Lions will prepare for the nation's No.1 team, the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks enter the last Saturday of the regular season with a perfect 11-0 record and will take on a 6-5 Washington Huskies squad at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are an 18-point favorite heading into the matchup.
It will be the Ducks' fifth conference title appearance in the last six seasons, after appearing in the 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023 seasons. The Ducks are 2-2 in those matchups losing each of their last two games to Utah and Washington.
For Penn State, it will be the Nittany Lions second-ever trip to the Big Ten Championship game. Their first trip came in 2016 where they erased a 21-point first-half deficit to the Wisconsin Badgers to win 38-31. The Nittany Lions who went 11-2 that season through the Big Ten Championship were left out of the College Football Playoffs, however, in favor of Ohio State. Instead, they would head to the Rose Bowl, losing an instant classic to USC 52-49.
The Nittany Lions and Ducks have met four previous times in history and hold a 3-1 advantage in those four games. However, it will be their first matchup since the 1995 Rose Bowl, a game in which the Nittany Lions won 38-20 and is best remembered for Ki-Jana Carter ripping off an 83-yard touchdown on Penn State's first play from scrimmage. They also met in 1960 (Liberty Bowl - Philadelphia, PA)), 1963 (Portland, OR), and 1964 (State College). Oregon's lone win in the series came in that 1964 matchup in State College, a 22-14 defeat for the Nittany Lions.
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