“It’s like a dream come true,” defensive back Dillon Thieneman said in the post game press conference after securing the 30-24 win for Oregon in double overtime against Penn State. 

It was just a dream 10 months ago, but Thieneman has come a long way from where he was on Dec. 7, 2024. That night, Thieneman had something in common with the 10.5 million viewers who tuned their television to CBS and watched Oregon take on Penn State in the 2024 Big Ten championship: he was watching the game from home.

“I was still at Purdue,” Thieneman said. “Watching that game from my apartment…I was definitely disappointed with how the (Purdue) season went.” 

For the Boilermakers, 2024 was a dismal season. Thieneman, however, was a bright spot for 1-11 Purdue, leading the team in tackles with 104, 70 of those being solo tackles, and registering a sack. 

At the end of his time at Purdue, Thieneman had put together two stellar seasons: 210 total tackles, 144 solo tackles and one sack. Thieneman also finished tied for the third most interceptions in college football with six in 2023. 

He also earned the accolades to go with it: five-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (2023), Pro Football Focus All Big-Ten Team, FWAA Defensive Freshman of the Year and third-team All-America honors from AP in 2023.

The 2024 edition of the Ducks started Tysheem Johnson and Kobe Savage in the defensive backfield. Johnson and Savage both had solid numbers of their own and played vital roles in the Oregon secondary, which was ranked in the top ten of multiple Big Ten pass defense categories. 

With the departure of Johnson and Savage, Lanning had to bring in some veteran talent to go along with redshirt freshman Ify Obidegwu, who spent all of 2024 out with an injury, and true freshmen Na’eem Offord and Brandon Finney Jr. 

Then, Thieneman enters. Through four games, Thieneman had 16 tackles for Oregon and was playing solidly against the competition, but that competition wasn’t as strong as Penn State. None of the teams Oregon had played leading up to Penn State constantly targeted players downfield. How would Thieneman, and the rest of the team, do against the No. 3 team in the nation?

A game that has been circled on the calendars of college football fans for months finally rolled around on Sept. 27. Despite a lackluster offensive start to the game, it picked up in the second half. Defensively, the Ducks made the night very difficult for Penn State’s quarterback Drew Allar, who had only one pass for more than 15 yards in the first half. The lack of deep strikes thrown by Penn State is a testament to the great coverage that Oregon, Thieneman included, exhibited in the backfield.

Regulation culminated in a 17-17 tie after the Nittany Lions clawed their way back into the game; it was only fitting that this highly anticipated matchup between Big Ten powerhouses would have to be decided in overtime. 

The Nittany Lions and the Ducks traded scores in the first overtime, and Oregon received the ball to start the second. After a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dante Moore to Gary Bryant Jr., all the Ducks had to do was keep Penn State from scoring –– something the Ducks were having an issue with since the third quarter.

On the first play of the Nittany Lions’ second overtime drive, Thieneman stepped up. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar was looking to the right side for tight end Luke Reynolds, but the ball never got there. Thieneman, springing into the air, snatched the ball out of its path, securing the win for Oregon, and taking the breath out of 111,015 fans. 

Although he was the one that delivered the final cut, Thineman took very little praise for himself. “No one was going to do it on one play, or it wasn’t going to happen in one moment,” Thieneman said. 

In the remaining six weeks of Oregon’s season, Thieneman has the opportunity to build on the great start he’s had to another remarkable season. With the Indiana Hoosiers rolling into Eugene in Week 7, the star of the Oregon secondary is going to have tough competition lining up against wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and Elijah Sarrat, who have 408 and 412 receiving yards respectively. 

Continuing to play to the level he has so far, Thieneman can continue to build his case for being the best defensive back in college football, which would see him take home the Jim Thorpe award, and bolster his chances to be selected as a high first round pick.