Oregon defeats Ohio State in Big Ten battle, completing first-ever victory over a top-two opponent

CNN
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It was another exciting day in college football as several teams narrowly avoided surprise defeats in overtime, as No. 3 Oregon beat No. 2 Ohio State 32-31 in a Big Ten thriller, their first Victory over a top two placed opponent secured.

The first-ever top-five match played at Autzen Stadium in Eugene lived up to its billing as it was a venue record. 60,129 fans experienced an electrifying game in which both teams repeatedly delivered points.

The Buckeyes took a 31-29 lead after a field goal with six minutes left, but on the next drive, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel led the Ducks down the field, completing all five passes for 41 yards, and finally Atticus Sappington converted one 19-yard field goal to give the Ducks a 32-31 lead.

With just over a minute left, Ohio State got the ball back but came up short after quarterback Will Howard made a tuck He took the ball and ran with it, but couldn't get down in time to call a timeout because time was running out. According to ESPN Research, no AP top three matchup has been decided by just one point since 1991.

Still full of adrenaline, thousands of Ducks fans then rushed the field and celebrated one of the program's greatest victories.

“It’s a funny moment, man,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said afterward. “It's a funny moment that I know everyone in this stadium wearing green was able to enjoy and celebrate and everyone who worked so hard was able to enjoy it.

“For me, that’s what’s so gratifying about it, that so many other people were able to share their joy at a moment like this. Our players, our fans, the people that this program means so much to – it means as much to them as it does to anyone else.”

Before this win, the Ducks had previously played 0:19 against the top two teams. They improve to 6-0 on the season while Ohio State falls to 5-1.

Elsewhere, No. 4 Penn State beat USC in overtime, narrowly avoiding an upset after a historic day from Tyler Warren. The senior caught 17 passes, which is a single-game record for tight ends in FBS.

The Nittany Lions trailed the USC Trojans for almost the entire regular season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, tying the score on three separate occasions.

With just under three minutes left and a score behind, Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton caught a touchdown to tie the game and force overtime. Kicker Ryan Barker later hit a 36-yard field goal in OT, helping the Nittany Lions to a 6-0 lead on the season. Quarterback Drew Allar had a career-high 391 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Warren did that alone 224 reception yards and a touchdown.

There was almost another upset in Tennessee as the 8th-ranked Volunteers got past Florida 23-17 in overtime. First, Florida's defense neutralized Tennessee's offense, allowing zero points and just 130 total yards He sacked freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava three times in the first half.

After halftime, the Vols came to life and led 17-10 until the final minute of the game, but DJ Lagway, the Gators' backup quarterback, threw a 23-yard pass to Chimere Dike for a touchdown to force OT Tennessee eventually came out on top.

No. 13 LSU defeated No. 9 Ole Miss 29-26 in the third-place Week 7 overtime game at Death Valley. In the final minute of the game, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Anderson to tie the score.

Nussmeier then threw a 25-yard touchdown to wide receiver Kyren Lacy to give LSU the overtime victory after holding the Rebels to a field goal on the first possession of overtime.

It's LSU's fifth straight win as they move to 5-1 on the season while Ole Miss falls to 5-2.

In the Red River Rivalry, No. 1 Texas defeated No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3 to reclaim the famed Golden Hat after a last-second loss in the final game.

Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers returned from injury with mixed results, throwing for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Running back Quintrevion Wisner led the way on the ground with 118 yards or more A Landing.

With the win, the Longhorns improve to 6-0 on the season and now turn their attention to next week's showdown against No. 5 Georgia, which defeated Mississippi State 41-31 on Saturday.