Dan Lanning didn't think the Ducks had 'settled' into Big Ten title game at halftime

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks stormed into the start of the Big Ten Championship game. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel connected with tight end Kenyon Sadiq and it looked like the Ducks were going to fly past the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions.

However, as the second quarter unfolded, the Ducks' offense slowed and the Nittany Lions seemed to find their footing. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning knew his team was capable of more and expected more to come in the second half.

We established the run," Lanning said at halftime. "When we start on schedule on 1st down it allows us to move the ball downfield."

Lanning went on to say that the communication on offense had been slightly off, despite Gabriel completing 12 of his 19 pass attempts for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air as well as 8 yards on the ground.

Defensively, the Ducks looked off. The normally dominant Oregon defense hadn't allowed more than 34 points by a team all season but allowed Penn State to earn nearly 300 yards in the first half and bring in 24 points by halftime.

"I would say we haven't settled in yet," Lanning said of the defense. "There's a lot of points on the board on both sides."

Despite the touchdown lead that the Ducks held over the Nittany Lions when the second half started, Lanning wanted more out of both of his units – the omnipotent offense and dominant defense.

The winner of the Big Ten Championship would earn one of the top four seeds in the College Football Playoffs and a subsequent bye in the first round. The winner would play its first Playoff game in the Rose Bowl while the loser would host a first-round game at home.

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