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Big Ten reverses course: Oregon football has clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game after all
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Big Ten reverses course: Oregon football has clinched a spot in the Big Ten championship game after all

EUGENE — It was the clinch that seemed to be there, then wasn’t there, then was there again.

In a turnaround, the Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday that Oregon football (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) has effectively earned a spot in the conference championship game. According to multiple sources with knowledge of the discussion, Big Ten athletic directors met virtually Tuesday to discuss the conference’s deciding points and whether Oregon had won.

Although the conference previously claimed that the Ducks needed to lose Ohio State and Penn State this weekend to secure their spot this week, the conference may have misinterpreted its own tiebreaker procedures. Oregon appears to have clinched a spot with Saturday’s win over Wisconsin.

“After an extensive review of all possible scenarios over the final two weeks of the conference’s 18-team regular season, there are no conditions that would prevent the Ducks from finishing No. 1 or No. 2,” the Big Ten said in a release .

The conference did not immediately respond to a request for further comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Before Saturday’s game against the Badgers, the conference told The Oregonian/OregonLive and Oregon athletic department officials that even a win wouldn’t guarantee the Ducks a spot in the Dec. 7 game in Indianapolis. That was the operational assumption on Monday, when The Oregonian/OregonLive reported a follow-up story based on the conference’s interpretation of the tiebreaker procedures.

The Oregonian’s original interpretation of the tiebreaker rules was that Oregon only had to beat Wisconsin to qualify. That seems to be true.

While the Ducks’ trip to Indianapolis is finally set in stone, their opponent remains a mystery. Indiana, Ohio State and Penn State all still have a path to meeting the Ducks at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup Newsletter.