Who Will Oregon Ducks Face in Big Ten Championship: Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State?

The Oregon Ducks have officially clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship, the conference announced on Tuesday. Dissecting their potential opponents: Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State, Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions.

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) sets up to pass during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks have officially clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Big Ten Conference evaluated all of the possible scenarios for the remainder of the regular season, and none of them resulted in the Ducks finishing outside of the top two. 

In the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, the winner of the Big Ten will get an auto-bid and first round bye to the quarterfinals in the playoff.

Oregon Ducks Clinch Big Ten Title Game Berth

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) rushes with the football in front of Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) after catching a pass during the fourth quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

It may have taken a few days after the Ducks won on the road against Wisconsin to improve to 11-0, but Oregon has officially clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game. This is what happens when a conference has 18 teams with only nine conference games on the schedule. The Big Ten couldn’t even figure out their own tiebreaker. 

In their first year as a member of the Big Ten, Oregon has yet to lose a game. The Ducks have a bye this week before taking on their rival, the Washington Huskies, at Autzen Stadium on Nov. 30.

The Big Ten Championship is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Who are the most likely opponents that Oregon could wind up facing?

Who Will Face Oregon in the Big Ten Title Game?

Teammates celebrate a catch by Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the NCAA football game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. Ohio State won 31-7. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are three potential teams that the Ducks can face in the Big Ten Championship: Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State. 

The simplest path for the Hoosiers to make the Big Ten title game is to win their last two games. Indiana plays Ohio State and Purdue in their final two regular season games, and if they win both, they are in. If Indiana loses to Ohio State, the Hoosiers will most likely be out unless Ohio State gets upset by Michigan in their last game. 

For Ohio State, the simplest path for them is to also win their remaining two games. There is a possibility of Ohio State, Indiana, and Penn State all finishing with one conference loss. If that were to happen, the Buckeyes would win the tiebreaker because they would have wins over both Indiana and Penn State.

Penn State currently has the longest odds to make the Big Ten title game. The Nittany Lions do not control their own destiny as they need help from other teams. The best chance for them to make the conference championship is to win their final two games, combined with an Indiana win over Ohio State but a loss to Purdue. Or, they would need Indiana to lose to both Ohio State and Purdue, and Ohio State to lose to Michigan. 

Oregon has yet to play Indiana or Penn State this season, but the Ducks beat the Buckeyes in a 32-31 thriller at Autzen Stadium in October.

Luckily for the Ducks, they can approach the next two weeks knowing they will be in Indianapolis on Dec. 7. For now, Dan Lanning and his team will look to beat Washington for the first time since 2021. 

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