At the start of this week, Penn State coach James Franklin and his Oregon counterpart, Dan Lanning, said they weren’t yet neck-deep in film preparation for the Big Ten championship.

That’ll change rapidly as Saturday’s kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis nears, with both teams doing their utmost to get ready for one another.

For the top-ranked Ducks (12-0, 9-0), a major obstacle standing in the way of a league title and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff will be defending dynamic Nittany Lions senior tight end Tyler Warren.

“He’s obviously an elite player that’s a matchup issue and a complete tight end,” Lanning told reporters. “I’m excited to hop into and dive into that plan to try to figure out how we can neutralize him. I think they do as good a job as any at utilizing their personnel.

“I think their scheme is really difficult to plan for offensively. That’ll be a fun challenge for us and our defensive staff.”

Warren enters the Big Ten championship having already put together a spectacular campaign and is a finalist for several high-profile accolades, including the John Mackey Award as college football’s top tight end.

He has caught 81 passes for 978 yards and six touchdowns, all of which lead Penn State by comfortable margins.

Utilized regularly as a rusher in coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s offense, Warren also has 21 carries for 189 yards and four scores.

He and Penn State (11-1, 8-1) prepare to meet a stingy Ducks defense that ranks seventh nationally in yards allowed per game (283.8), with Oregon’s passing yards per game (171.5) ranking eighth.

Oregon will seek to pull off what Penn State’s prior 12 opponents have failed to do.

AP Penn State tight end Tyler Warren has 81 receptions for 978 yards and six touchdowns.  

“Everybody we play defensively also says that one of their big goals is to limit his impact,” Franklin said. “Hasn’t happened a whole lot yet because it’s hard to do when you play a tight end the way we do and line them up as traditional tight end, as a tight end in the hit position, in the backfield as a fullback, in the slot as a slot receiver, out wide as a No. 1 wide receiver and then also motions and shifts.

“So it just makes it difficult to say we’re going to take this guy out of the game based on defensive scheme.”

Even Ohio State, the lone team to defeat the Nittany Lions this season, didn’t prevent Warren from making an impact. He hauled in four catches for 47 yards and added three runs for another 47 in the loss Nov. 2.

Other than Warren, six Penn State players have multiple receiving touchdowns this season.

With teams forced to devote attention and bodies to stopping him, Warren’s teammates have reaped the benefits.

“He’s a guy that’s extremely hard to game plan for as a defense,” wide receiver Liam Clifford said. “When you put him at different positions, not only at tight end but at quarterback, put him at receiver, put him in the backfield — it’s tough to game plan for someone like that.

“Especially when you couple it with just a guy who’s going to make a play no matter what, even if he’s covered, even if he has the ball and is getting taken down, he’s able to get out of tackles, things like that. The dude’s a stud.”

Warren’s expanded offensive role dates to former coordinator Mike Yurcich’s tenure and has blossomed under Kotelnicki.

Franklin has sung Warren’s praises at every opportunity, lobbying even for Heisman Trophy consideration.

Individual awards aside, when it comes time to face the Ducks on Saturday, Warren per usual will be featured prominently in the plan.

“He just continues to get better in every area, as a blocker — which we’re still big believers that the tight ends should be doing that as part of their job description, which isn’t always the case,” Franklin said. “We’ve used him as a wildcat quarterback for a number of years now, but that package has expanded as he’s grown.

“Obviously, we’ve used him as a wide receiver, as well, in terms of lining him out wide or in the slot or whatever it may be. Very confident, very consistent player who’s got unique ball skills and body control for a big human being and is having a phenomenal year. In terms of our offense, obviously a big part of it goes through him.”

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