Dan Lanning took his time leaving the field of the Pac-12 Championship Game a year ago. Oregon lost to Washington by 3 for the second time that season and Lanning told reporters after the game the Ducks knew what they had.

It hurt.

Fast forward a year and Oregon is partying on the field after a conference championship game.

On Saturday night, the Ducks beat Penn State 45-37 to capture the Big Ten title in their first year in the league. Wideout Tez Johnson set a Big Ten Championship Game record with 181 receiving yards. The offense’s 45 points tied for the third most in the championship game’s history.

Penn State gained 518 yards and actually outgained the Ducks on the evening. The 37 points Oregon allowed were a season-high. It wasn’t the usual defensive effort, but Oregon found a way.

“I’m just so proud of our team. We’ve had moments where the defense had the offense’s back. Tonight, the offense had the defense’s back,” Lanning told the CBS broadcast. “It was a battle back and forth. That was a good football team. They were tough to prepare for but our guys had just enough. There was just enough time to take care of it. And to finish it like that, with that physicality, that’s what I love to see.”

With the win, Oregon will enter into the College Football Playoff with the No. 1 overall seed and a first-round bye. The Ducks are 13-0, matching a school record for single-season victories with a very real shot at winning the program’s first-ever national championship.

In Year 1 in the Big Ten, the Ducks blitzed the league.

“We focus on the next play, we focus on the next moment, the next day. We come to work every single time,” Lanning said. “We did that tonight.”