From the moment a giant inflatable duck floated along the White River within a few blocks of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Oregon football program had the Big Ten within its sights. It was at football media days back in July when the Ducks preceded their formal Big Ten introduction with that humorous sight. But it also was symbolic. The Ducks had no plans to meekly waddle into their new conference.
It all adds up to this moment, said quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw four touchdown passes and 283 yards. We have a lot more to go, but we are going to enjoy this one.
No expansion team in the Big Ten's previous 128 football seasons won an outright league championship in its inaugural campaign. Only in 1900 (Iowa) and 1953 (Michigan State) did an expansion team tie for the league championship in Year 1 but neither were unblemished.
This is the last step for us to become that. I'm really proud of our guys buying into that thought and building off of it, said Oregon coach Dan Lanning.
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