With Penn State’s football season now officially in the books, now is a good time to start putting the whole season into perspective. Although the season ended with the Nittany Lions coming up just short of playing for a national championship, there were a lot of good moments to reflect on positively from the 2024 season that ended with a final record of 13-3. The shortcomings are well documented, but the highlights of the year should not be forgotten.
Going into the 2024 season opened the door to a brand new Big Ten and a new approach to how the championship game matchup would be determined. With the addition of four new schools with Oregon, UCLA, SUC, and Washington all coming over from the crumbling Pac-12, the Big Ten had a football membership of 18 members. That led to a removal of a divisional format and meant the top two teams in the final Big Ten standings would be given a spot in the Big Ten championship game. As far as Penn State was concerned, that removed the typical roadblocks of finishing in a divisional tie with Ohio State or Michigan to compete for a Big Ten title.
As long as Penn State could avoid slipping up in some of the potentially tricky road trips against USC, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, then Penn State would be a strong Big Ten title contender as the season came to a close. The schedule did not include a game against defending national champion Michigan and managed to skip one of the preseason favorites, Oregon, in the regular season schedule that did include three games against new conference members. Of course, there was still the regular matchup with Ohio State, which did not go Penn State’s way yet again.
But Penn State won every other Big Ten game on its schedule, including those road games at USC, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, while Ohio State lost a head-to-head matchup against Oregon and its regular-season finale against rival Micigan. With Ohio State falling into the two-loss category, Penn State slid ahead of the Buckeyes in the Big Ten standings to lock in a matchup with the Oregon Ducks, ranked no. 1 with an undefeated record coming into Indianapolis in early December.
Despite a respectable showing from the offense, Penn State’s defense had an uncharacteristically off outing against the high-powered Ducks. Oregon marched right down the field on Penn State’s defense on each of its first three possessions for three touchdowns before the Nittany Lions could manage to force Oregon to punt the ball way. Oregon built a 28-10 lead on Penn State before a touchdown catch by Omari Evans and a touchdown run by quarterback Drew Allar helped close the gap before halftime. Penn State brought the game to within four points but a late Oregon field goal gave the favored Ducks a 31-24 lead going into halftime.
Penn State’s offense went scoreless in the third quarter while Oregon’s Tez Johnson put Oregon up by two scores going into the fourth quarter. That was ultimately enough of a lead to keep Penn State at arm’s length despite Penn State scoring a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton each ran for over 100 yards in the game and Tyler Warren caught seven passes for 84 yards. Allar had three touchdown passes but was intercepted twice, with one of those picks coming in a bad spot and handing the Oregon offense the football at the Penn State 1-yard line, which quickly led to a touchdown. Penn State simply had no answers for Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson, who caught 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for four touchdowns without an interception.
Penn State may have come up short in the Big Ten championship, 45-37, but Penn State’s effort showed they were deserving of the Big Ten title shot and looked to be ready to make a good run in the upcoming College Football Playoff. The result may have helped Penn State hold on to one of the top four rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee to give the Nittany Lions a chance to host a first-round game as the No. 6 seed.
As time would suggest, Penn State was the third-best team in the Big Ten in 2024 behind Oregon and Ohio State, but the makeup of the new Big Ten championship game format showed Penn State was a team to watch in the Big Ten title hunt with the way the schedule played out.
This was just Penn State’s second appearance in the Big Ten championship game, as they won their previous appearance in 2016 against Wisconsin.
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out for warmups…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out for warmups against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions fans pose for a photo against…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions fans pose for a photo against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes hands…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shakes hands with Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) gestures…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) gestures during warmups against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Tyseer Denmark (4) high-fives…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Tyseer Denmark (4) high-fives Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin during warmups prior to facing the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches quarterback…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin watches quarterback Drew Allar (15) throw against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) warms up before a game against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs for a gain during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback A.J. Harris (4) reacts after…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback A.J. Harris (4) reacts after a tackle against the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) fumbles against the Penn…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) fumbles against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the fourth quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs off field during the fourth quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Tyseer Denmark (4) high-fives…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Tyseer Denmark (4) high-fives linebacker Dominic DeLuca (0) against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts after…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin reacts after a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) runs for a gain…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) runs for a gain against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) snaps the…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) snaps the ball during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) dives for…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) dives for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) is tackled by…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James (20) is tackled by Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs for…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions place kicker Ryan Barker (94) kicks…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions place kicker Ryan Barker (94) kicks a point after try against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Karson Kiesewetter (28) reacts after…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Karson Kiesewetter (28) reacts after a play against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Omari Evans (5) catches…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Omari Evans (5) catches a touchdown pass against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Omari Evans (5) and…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Omari Evans (5) and Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Drew Shelton (66) celebrate a second quarter touchdown against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs for a gain against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) dives…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) dives for the pylon past Oregon Ducks defensive back Kobe Savage (5) during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) runs for a…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) runs for a gain during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) reacts after a…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) reacts after a run for a gain during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) is tackled by Penn…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) is tackled by Penn State Nittany Lions safety Zakee Wheatley (6) during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) runs for a…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) runs for a gain during the second quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (6)…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Harrison Wallace III (6) catches a pass as Oregon Ducks defensive back Jabbar Muhammad (7) defends during the second quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) scores…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) and…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) and offensive lineman Drew Shelton (66) celebrate a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the first quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Karson Kiesewetter (28) reacts after…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Karson Kiesewetter (28) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) catches…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) catches a pass as Oregon Ducks defensive back Kobe Savage (5) defends during the first quarter in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kolin Dinkins (31) and safety…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Kolin Dinkins (31) and safety Dejuan Lane (10) react after a play during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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NCAA Football: Big Ten Championship-Penn State at Oregon
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin talks during…
Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin talks during the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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