Quarterback Dillon Gabriel has spent his college career searching for the perfect fit.

His six-season odyssey has been long and arduous, crossing the Pacific Ocean and spanning coast to coast — stretching from his home state of Hawaii to Orlando, Fla., to Norman, Okla., and finally to Eugene, Ore.

Every move, decision, triumph and setback has led him to Pasadena, where he faces a win-or-go-home Rose Bowl showdown against Ohio State (11-2). Gabriel will either guide Oregon (13-0) one step closer to a championship or close the chapter on his college career.

“You wish you had him for longer, but we’re happy with his progress,” Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein said. “When he’s out on the field, he makes everybody feel at ease because of his leadership, because he’s seen it all.”

Gabriel’s career combines longevity — thanks to extended eligibility from a season-ending injury and a COVID-19 year — with veteran decision-making that has solidified him as the leader of the No. 1 team, which defeated the Buckeyes 32-31 in October.

When evaluating talent, Ducks coach Dan Lanning emphasizes to his staff the importance of finding individuals who are searching for the best fit — not the most convenient — and willing to make sacrifices.

Nearly a year before winning the Big Ten championship, Lanning found his guy in Gabriel. The coach welcomed an undersized, often-dismissed talent who had bounced around with varying degrees of success, searching for a fit in his final year of eligibility.

To make this last stop count, Gabriel made the necessary sacrifices that Lanning sought. Throughout the season, he repeatedly demonstrated the toughness to handle last-minute drives and difficult down-and-distance situations, according to Lanning.

“Nothing fazes him, that’s the cool thing about him,” Stein added.

Gabriel had shown the skills to succeed during his prolific start at Central Florida and his two-year stint at Oklahoma, year after year passing for more than 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns.

He’s brought that ability to Oregon, posting similar numbers. But more importantly, he has showcased intangibles like “toughness” and “poise” — traits that have impressed Lanning and his staff the most.

Gabriel’s extended college career has fostered his maturity and veteran leadership, which have become defining traits. Having just celebrated his 25th birthday Saturday, he is the same age or older than some of the NFL’s rising quarterbacks, including Brock Purdy, Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud.

“You never know how tough somebody is until you’re in the trenches with them,” Stein said. “You really don’t know them until you’re in the game, and how tough he is has been extremely impressive.”

Inheriting a championship-caliber program with only one year to make an impact, Gabriel needed to quickly embrace his role, build relationships and earn teammates’ trust.

“His ability to connect with his teammates is unlike anybody I’ve been around,” Stein said. “He treats the eighth-string walk-on like he’s a first-string starter. … He’s truly a unique individual, and I’m really glad he’s on our team.”

From Day 1, tight end Terrance Ferguson, one of Gabriel’s many offensive weapons, knew they would click.

“As soon as I knew I was coming back and he was going to be the quarterback, I said we’re going to be best friends no matter what,” Ferguson said. “We became best friends, and anytime he wanted to throw the ball, I was there. It didn’t matter if it was in Hawaii, L.A., or in our backyard.”

The two built strong chemistry on and off the field. Even their fiancées became close friends, often joining the duo for dinner as couples.

Gabriel’s dedication to the Ducks has paid off.

A record-breaking season? Check.

He passed Case Keenum’s all-time total touchdown record with 187 and is on the verge of breaking even more of Keenum’s marks. He needs three passing touchdowns to pass the 155-touchdown milestone and only 794 passing yards to claim the all-time record (19,217).

A Heisman Trophy finalist? Check.

Gabriel finished third in voting, becoming just the fifth Oregon player to be a finalist and the second Hawaiian-born player in school history, joining 2014 winner Marcus Mariota, whom Gabriel idolized growing up.

One accomplishment has eluded him — winning a national championship. Much like his search for the perfect fit, he still seeks the fulfillment that makes every move, decision, triumph and setback worthwhile.

“To be in these moments you dream of and want to be in,” Gabriel said, “it’s something I’ve been preparing my whole entire life for. … You know the opportunity at hand and what’s at stake, that all goes into what’s to come.”

Once again, fate has pitted him against a team he previously defeated, leading his squad on a thrilling 74-yard drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. In that game, he delivered a Heisman-caliber performance, completing 23 of 34 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 27-yard touchdown run.

But as he looks ahead to Wednesday’s game, he doesn’t dwell on the past.

“Nothing in the past can help you in the future,” Gabriel said. “Maybe try and see if you could do something different here and there. But that’s why it’s history.”

Prepared as always, Gabriel now leads a battle-tested, confident team, carrying the trust of his coaches and teammates as he strives to keep the journey alive for one more game.

“We have the best quarterback in the country that’s going to go out there and play his best on a big stage,” Stein said.

LOS ANGELES — It was a familiar scene in a season filled with long road trips and high expectations: Oregon football players lumbering off a fleet of buses in matching sweatsuits, flanked by coaches and support staff. Serious looks on nearly every face as the Ducks arrive at the team hotel.

A highly anticipated Rose Bowl matchup with No. 8 Ohio State is viewed as a “business trip,” above all else, Oregon players said. The No. 1 Ducks are treating it like any other game in more ways than just transportation.

“The overall mood is definitely business,” safety Kobe Savage said. “Coach (Dan) Lanning does a great job of emphasizing that throughout the week, telling us it’s not really a bowl game. It’s a playoff game. It’s do or die. It’s definitely a different mindset with a different mentality.”

This one is certainly different than Rose Bowls past, the first College Football Playoff quarterfinal game to be held at the Granddaddy of Them All. While the Ducks have embraced the game’s history — including their own with the chosen uniform combination — the Rose Bowl is no longer the icing on the cake that it has been for this program. It’s the start of a journey with the bigger goal of a national title in mind.

“I’ve been so proud of my team just grinding hard,” offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius said. “It’s a long season, but we’re not even going to worry about that. We’re just worried about continuing to play as well as we can.”

The Ducks will settle in before several days of shuttling between team meetings, practice, media obligations and volunteer events. It only adds to the anticipation for this group after nearly a month since its Big Ten championship game victory over Penn State.

“Just practicing all month of December (into) January, we’re really excited to get back out there,” Savage said. “Instead of going against each other, going out there against Ohio State and showing what we’ve got. … It got a lot of air under our wings being able to get the recovery in, get the extra film in. Being able to study both Tennessee and Ohio State. Mentally and physically, it helped us a lot.”

Ohio State dispatched Tennessee 42-17 in a CFP first-round game Dec. 21 in Columbus. The Buckeyes enter the Rose Bowl with renewed confidence after a stunning loss to rival Michigan in their regular-season finale, and are seeking revenge against Oregon after an Oct. 12 regular-season meeting that the Ducks won 32-31 and marked a signature victory of Lanning’s tenure.

“It’s an absolute blessing to be able to play on this stage and come this far,” Cornelius said. “I’m just honored to be here and want to keep playing.”

CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

• Who: No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (11-2)
• When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
• Time: 2 p.m. PT
• Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
• TV channel: ESPN
• Stream: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or by signing up for Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on Watch ESPN with your cable or satellite provider login information.
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— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.

After a trip to Hawaii and a break for the holidays, the Oregon State women were back in action Saturday afternoon. It took a fourth quarter comeback to push the game into overtime, but the Beavers picked up their first West Coast Conference win with a 71-67 win over Gonzaga. The win puts the Beavers at 5-8 overall, and 1-1 in conference play.

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The first half was closely fought, with Kelsey Rees leading the way for the Beavers and Yvonne Ejim doing the same for the Bulldogs. A layup from Rees gave the Beavers a three point, 31-28 lead at the end of the half, but in the second half things started to go Gonzaga’s way.

Not right away though. Claire O’Connor and Kennedie Shuler traded threes at the start of the quarter to keep the Beaver lead at three. Jumpers from Yvonne Ejim and Esther Little gave the Bulldogs the lead back, but then a Tiara Bolden three put the Beavers back in front.

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That was the story for most of the period, but with three minutes left in the quarter Gonzaga got themselves on a run. Ejim, Allie Turner and Ines Bettencourt scored 7 straight in the closing minutes to put the Bulldogs up 7, 51-44. The Beavers would start the fourth quarter in a bit of hole.

Things looked grim, as Oregon State struggled to chip away at Gonzaga’s lead. With 3 minutes left the Bulldogs were up twelve, but then shots finally started to drop for the Beavers. A Kennedie Shuler jump shot got the deficit down to ten, and then six straight points from Kelsey Rees got the Beavers within four. Tiara Bolden hit a pair of free throws with a minute to go to cut the Gonzaga lead to two, and a costly miss from McKynnlie Dalan, and a timely rebound by Bolden, insured the Beavers would have one more chance to tie things up.

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OSU put the ball in Kennedie Shuler’s hands, and Ines Bettencourt fouled her forcing Shuler to the line. She hit both her free throws, and after Yvonne Ejim missed a game winning jumper, we were headed to overtime.

Kelsey Rees put up the first OT points for the Beavers, with a layup and a free throw. Allie Turner tied the game for Gonzaga with a three, before Catarina Ferreira free throws gave OSU the lead back. Ally Turner hit a three to give the Bulldogs their last lead of the night, as Ally Schimel responded with a three of her own to put the Beavers in front for good. Kennedie Shuler capped things off with a pair of free throws, and the Beavers took home a 71-67 win.

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Rees led the Beavers in scoring, with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Kennedie Shuler also delivered in the clutch, with 16y points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds. Tiara Bolden also broke double digits in scoring, with 10 points, 4 rebounds and an assist.

The Beavers won’t get much time to rest. Monday they’ll be back on the road, traveling to Portland to take on the WCC’s top team, the undefeated Portland Pilots. Tip off is set 6 PM PT.