Oregon was on top.

After racking up 45 points to beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship last December, the Ducks stood alone as the only unbeaten team in the country at 13-0 heading into the College Football Playoff.

After their next game, it was all over.

It was a 41-21 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl in a playoff quarterfinal. The high-powered offense had been grounded to just eight points in the first half of a game that never felt in doubt.

On the other side was Jim Knowles, the defensive coordinator whose unit had come short on the road against the Ducks in the regular season. The rematch swung dramatically in the Buckeyes’ favor on the way to a national title win.

Knowles is now in the booth for Penn State. And the No. 3 Nittany Lions are hoping that will make all the d

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