Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel will look to keep his slim Big Ten touchdown lead alive in the Week 10 matchup against Michigan. As of the start of the month, Gabriel has thrown 23 touchdowns, compared to Ohio State’s Will Howard, who has 22.

The Ducks are undefeated and maintain the No. 1 ranking in the country. They also have the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Buckeyes, earning a 32-31 win on Oct. 12 in Eugene.

There’s a chance both teams could play each other again in a month for the Big Ten title game. The Buckeyes’ lone loss puts them in a position where there is little to no room for error going forward.

They have a tough road test against Penn State in State College in what could very well be a win-or-bust scenario that lands the team in Indianapolis. Indiana is still undefeated and visits Michigan State this week. Meanwhile, Illinois is looking for its seventh win to keep its conference title hopes alive.

Whatever the case, Gabriel’s impressive season cannot go unnoticed, putting him firmly in contention as one of the best in the country.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel called ‘rare’ by Ducks teammate

Gabriel’s teammate, WR Tez Johnson, believes Gabriel is a “rare” talent, sharing this during an interview with On SI.

“Very creative,” Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson said to Bri Amaranthus. “Every week we’re becoming more and more dynamic. I feel like it’s just the quarterback that we have – how he comes up with new plays every day. He’s just always willing to try the craziest things to see if it works… .We go out Saturday we get there and score on (Gabriel’s play). It gives us a lot of confidence that we can do pretty much anything.”

It’s hard to disagree with Tez. What he described is what we’ve seen all season from Gabriel, who has led the Ducks to the No. 1 ranking in the country and a possible No. 1 ranking in this Tuesday’s first College Football Playoff Rankings.