Penn State tight end Tyler Warren reaches for an incomplete pass in front of Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson during the second half of the Big Ten championship NCAA college football game. / The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Penn State found themselves in a track meet on Saturday evening in the Big Ten championship. The problem was they were competing against possibly the last team you’d want to get in an offensive battle with in Oregon.

Dillon Gabriel, a hopeful Heisman candidate for the Ducks, was 22 for 32 on the night for 283 yards with four touchdowns, leading his team to a 45-37 win over the Lions in front of 67,469 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The loss knocks Penn State into the first round of the College Football Playoff where they will find out their fate on Sunday. The question is did the Lions do enough to secure a home game in the first round?

Oregon wideout Tez Johnson was incredible on the night, finishing with 11 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown.

For Penn State, Allar was 20 of 39 for 226 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton both rushed over the century mark with Allen getting 124 yards and Singleton rushing for 105 yards. Tyler Warren had seven receptions for 84 yards.

A track meet ensued in the first half, with Oregon going 3 for 3 on touchdowns on its first three drives. Ducks receiver Kenyon Sadiq hurdled PSU cornerback Jalen Kimber on the first drive of the game on his way to a touchdown for the game’s first touchdown.

Although PSU got on the board with a 33-yard field goal from Ryan Barker, Oregon took a 14-3 lead on another Sadiq TD from Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel.

PSU got its first touchdown on a Nicholas Singleton 22-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, but the Ducks took all the momentum by scoring the next two touchdowns to take a 28-10 lead. One of the scores was set up by an interception to the PSU 1-yard line from Dontae Manning.

Just when the Lions needed it, the offense got it going with a pair of touchdowns of their own on a 22-yard TD pass to Omari Evans, and another on a 7-yard scramble from Allar.

Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington kicked a 32-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the first half to make it 31-24 at halftime.

Tez Johnson scored a 48-yard touchdown on a pass from Gabriel to open the second half scoring.

After a Kaytron Allen 1-yard run early in the fourth quarter made it 38-30, the Lions elected to go for a two-point conversion. A trick play failed to keep it an 8-point game.

Jordan James punched in a 3-yard TD run, his second of the game, with 7:28 to play.

Trey Wallace caught a last gasp fourth-and-10 for a 14-yard touchdown with 3:41 to play to make it 45-37.

After the two-minute warning, Allar was intercepted by Nikko Reed. One first down ended PSU’s chances at a come-from-behind win.

Read more from Saturday’s Big Ten championship game in Monday’s edition of the Mirror.