Penn State moved up in the College Football Playoff rankings, setting up one of the highest-ranked matchups of the college football season in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game.

The Nittany Lions navigated an offseason of change, critical injuries, three tense road games, that loss and its resulting boos to earn a date with Oregon.

Conference championship week has arrived in college football, as the season’s final games await. The Big Ten will be decided when the Penn State Nittany Lions and Oregon Ducks showdown in Indianapolis at 8:00 PM on CBS this Saturday.

Penn State football's Abdul Carter is regarded as the best defender in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions junior, who switched positions this season, was named the league's top defensive lineman and top defender, overall, Tuesday by the annual vote of its coaches and media members. Carter led an extensive list of Penn State All-Big Ten performers.

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter was selected Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday. The award is officially known as the Nagurski-Woodson award, named in honor of Minnesota great Bronko Nagurski and Michigan great Charles Woodson.