OREGON VS PENN STATE: BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP

This Saturday night #1 seed Oregon and #4 seed Penn State will battle at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Big Ten Championship.

OREGON

The Ducks went undefeated in the regular season, being the only team to do so in college football. Oregon is a 3.5 point favorite to win this game.

The offense has been a nightmare to matchup against for opposing defenses, averaging 35.3 ppg. They have a very well-rounded and balanced offense, led by top 10 quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel has 24 passing touchdowns on 3,275 passing yards with a 165.1 quarterback rating. His primary target has been Tez Johnson, a deep threat for all secondaries. Johnson has had big games against top defensive backs, including an impressive 7 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown against the elite Ohio State defense, mainly guarded by star Denzel Burke. The run game has been effective as well. Running back Jordan James has also been a good feature, with 1,166 rushing yards on 206 carries, good for top 20 in the nation and top 2 in the Big Ten. The top 15 Ducks offense is a big asset in this game.

The Oregon defense has had a very consistent year, allowing just 16.2 ppg, 9th best in the nation. The Ducks defense is led in tackles by senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher with 80 in total. Another key player has been star defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei has been a major threat to quarterbacks, racking in 10.5 sacks this season, tied for 7th in the nation. He is also top 10 in total tackles for the team with 37. On the other side of the line his teammate Jordan Burch has 8.5 sacks, tied for 19th in the nation. Corners Tysheem Johnson and Kobe Savage have been clamping receivers all year, not allowing anything to get past them. The team has allowed just 283.9 ppg, 7th in college football. 

PENN STATE

The Nittany Lions went 11-1 in the regular season, with their only loss being to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Penn State will come in as underdogs for this one.

The Drew Allar-led Nittany Lions offense has 33.3 ppg this year. Allar has had an incredible sophomore season, arguably being a top 3 Big Ten quarterback with a 167.5 quarterback rating, 7th best in the nation. He has a 18-5 touchdown-interception ratio, which is better than star quarterbacks like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (15-10 ratio), Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola (12-10 ratio), and Florida’s DJ Lagway (11-7 ratio). His main receiver is tight end Tyler Warren. Warren has undoubtedly been the best tight end in college football. He has 81 receptions for 978 yards, 23rd amongst all players, which is almost unheard of from tight ends. He is also very versatile, as he catches nearly every ball that goes his way, is a strong blocker, and is very fast for his position and build. Harrison Wallace III is another solid receiver, with 35 catches for 579 yards on the year. Penn State’s running backs switch between dynamic duo Nick Singleton and Kaeytron Allen. Together they have a combined 1,431 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. This offense is very capable of making big plays this Saturday.

Penn State has played amazing defense over their last 12 games, allowing 14.0 ppg, 6th in the nation. Their best player defensively is by far Abdul Carter, a true game-changer. Carter has 54 total tackles and 10 sacks, tying him for 11th in college football. Their backfield consists of safety Jaylen Reed and linebacker Kobe King, who have a combined 137 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a touchdown. The team has allowed just 266.8 total yards per game, 4th in the nation. The Nittany Lion defense could definitely cause a lot of trouble for the ducks.

SCORE PREDICTION

Given all of the statistics, I have to take my Penn State Nittany Lions by a score of 21-17. I think it’ll be a rather low-scoring game due to these elite defenses, and it could be a game with lots of punts and turnovers.