Michigan shutout Iowa 26-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday evening, earning a third-straight conference title and a third-straight bid to the College Football Playoffs.
Defense, special teams and turnovers were more than enough for the Wolverines to overcome a stout showing from the Hawkeyes' defense.
Iowa's offense, already known for its almost comical ineptitude, was no match for Michigan's defense. Quarterback Deacon Hill threw for just 120 passing yards, while the rushing attacked scrounged together a measly 35 yards. Michigan's defense finished with four tackles for losses, three sacks, eight pass breakups two forced fumbles.
Special teams were also key for the Wolverines. An 87-yard punt return from Semaj Morgan in the first half set up Michigan's first touchdown of the day, massively swaying momentum. Kicker James Turner nailed all four field goal attempts, highlighted by a 50-yarder late in the fourth.
Michigan's offense struggled against Iowa's stellar defensive front, but took advantage of the opportunities presented by forced turnovers and special teams successes. The ground game racked up just 66 yards, while quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw for 147 yards and no touchdowns.
The College Football Playoff Committee will have their hands full deciding what teams will make it into the final iteration of the four-team playoff. However, Michigan's inclusion in the competition is a certainty, considering the No. 2 overall ranking and unblemished 13-0 season.
Michigan adds FG
Drive starts: IOWA 26 (9:09 4th)
Hill throws a short pass to Ostrenga on first down for five yards and goes right back to his tight end on second. Ostrenga rumbles ahead for a gain of 19 yards to put the offense at midfield.
Hill tries to find his top tight end for a third straight catch, but throws an incompletion. It's another incompletion on second down, followed up with a 5-yard pass on third down. The Hawkeyes go for it on fourth-and-5, but throws yet another incompletion and possession is turned over on downs.
Drive starts: MICH 45 (7:24 4th)
McCarthy throws a 9-yard pass to Johnson and Corum picks up the first with a 5-yard rush. The seasoned running back gets the first down carry, but just manages to get to the line of scrimmage. He gets a third straight carry, picking up five to set up third-and-5. On his fourth straight, Corum rushes for four yards to set up fourth-and-1.
Turner kicks a 50-yard field goal to extend Michigan's lead.
Michigan 26, Iowa 0 (3:38 4th)
Drive starts: IOWA 25 (3:38 4th)
Hill notches three straight completions to open the drive, targeting Johnson for eight yards, Ragaini for 12 and Ostrenga for eight. Iowa's offense is at midfield, but Hill throws an incompletion second and third down. He's sacked on fourth down and
Drive starts: IOWA 39 (1:21 4th)
Michigan adds another field goal
Drive starts: IOWA 28 (0:13 3rd)
Hill throws an incompletion on first down and a 2-yard screen pass on second. It's another incompletion from Hill on third down and the Hawkeyes punt it away.
Drive starts: MICH 35 (14:47 4th)
McCarthy throws a 5-yard pass to Johnson on first down. Corum gets three yards on second and Michigan faces third-and-2 near midfield. He gets the carry again but only picks up a yard, forcing the Wolverines to punt it away.
Drive starts: IOWA 20 (12:13 4th)
Hill throws an incompletion on first down and dumps it off to Ostrenga on second for seven yards. Hill goes back to his big tight end on third down, picking up just enough yardage for a first down. He's strip sacked on third down and Michigan recovers the fumble.
Drive starts: IOWA 26 (10:15 4th)
McCarthy drops back to pass on first down, but Iowa's lethal defensive line hits home again and sacks him for a loss of eight yards. Corum picks up just two yards on second down and it's third-and-13. McCarthy throws an incompletion and it's another field goal attempt for the Wolverines. Turner hits a 36-yard attempt.
Michigan 23, Iowa 0 (9:14 4th)
Michigan tacks on FG, leads 20-0
Drive starts: IOWA 25 (9:04 3rd)
Williams rushes for a couple yards and Hill throws an incompletion, quickly forcing third-and-8. Hill throws a 10-yard dart down the middle of the field to pick up a first down and keep the drive moving. It's followed up by a 10-yard screen pass to Ostrenga, putting Iowa's offense at midfield.
Iowa's offense goes back to the ground with a 5-yard carry from Johnson. He gets just a yard on his next carry, forcing the second third-down attempt of the game. Williams rushes for four yards on third, just one yard shy of the first. Iowa attempts a quarterback sneak on fourth down, but Michigan's defense comes up big and forces a turnover on downs.
Drive starts: MICH 44 (5:03 3rd)
McCarthy throws a couple completions on the first set of downs, connecting with Corum and Johnson for a total of 10 yards. Corum rushes for a couple yards as the offense pushes deeper into Iowa territory. Mullings gains seven on second down to make it third-and-1. McCarthy uses his legs to pick up the first, running along the left edge for four yards.
McCarthy attempts another rush just a play later, this time only picking up a yard. He throws an incompletion on second down and Edwards gets a 3-yard rush on third down. Turner nails a 46-yard field goal.
Michigan 20, Iowa 0 (0:22 3rd)
Michigan cashes in on turnover, takes 17-0 lead
Drive starts: MICH 25 (15:00 3rd)
Corum notches a 6-yard rush on first down and Johnson hauls in a 5-yard catch to move the chains. Alex Orji gets his first carry of the game, rushing for five yards. Corum brings in a short-yardage catch on second down, but a holding penalty on the offensive line wipes off the yardage and backs the offense up to second-and-15.
Despite the negative yardage, McCarthy throws a 6-yard pass to Loveland and a 14-yard pass to Wilson to put the offense at midfield and keep the drive alive.
Johnson gets to the line of scrimmage on first down. McCarthy nearly throws a pick on second down and it's third-and-10 for the Wolverines' offense. Edwards picks up a 2-yard catch and Michigan is forced to punt.
Drive starts: IOWA 6 (10:03 3rd)
Johnson opens the drive with a 3-yard rush. Hill throws a dangerous pass under pressure and it's batted up in the air, nearly ending in a turnover. However, under further review, it's ruled that
Drive starts: IOWA 6 (9:09 3rd)
Corum immediately makes Iowa pay for the turnover with a 6-yard touchdown rush.
Michigan 17, Iowa 0
Offenses stalling out to close the first half
Drive starts: IOWA 25 (1:07 1st)
Johnson rushes for five yards on first down. He snags four on second to set up an early third-and-1 for the offense. Hill keeps it for a sneak to move the chains and keep the drive alive.
Iowa gets another short yardage rush on first. Hill throws a quick, short pass to the right on second to set up third-and-3. He goes to the same spot on third down, but nearly tosses an interception. The Hawkeyes are forced to punt it away yet again.
Drive starts: MICH 20 (13:34 2nd)
McCarthy zips a 14-yard pass to Johnson for a quick first down to start the drive. Mullings rushes for four yards to kick off the next set of downs, followed up by a quick 10-yard pass to Loveland for another first down.
Edwards gets three yards on a first-down carry near midfield. A holding penalty on the ensuing play pushes back the offense, making it second-and-17. McCarthy throws a 5-yard pass and the Michigan offense faces a third-and-12. Iowa's pass rush finally gets home, sacking McCarthy for a loss of seven yards. The Wolverines are forced to punt it away.
Drive starts: IOWA 20 (8:59 2nd)
Johnson runs into a brick wall on a first down rush, losing three yards. Williams picks up just a couple yards on second day, setting up an early third-and-11. Hill throws an incompletion and Iowa is forcing to punt.
Drive starts: MICH 28 (7:16 2nd)
McCarthy throws an incompletion to kick off the drive. Corum gets tackled at the line of scrimmage on second down and Michigan faces an early third-and-long. He's sacked again, this time for a loss of 15 yards and the Wolverines are forced to punt. It's just a 25-yard boot, giving Iowa great starting field position.
Drives starts: MICH 38 (6:00 2nd)
Hill notches an 8-yard completion on first down. He throws an incompletion on second down, making it third-and-2. Hill connects with Patterson on a play-action pass, but he fumbles and Michigan recovers.
Drive starts: MICH 29 (5:03 2nd)
Corum rushes for a couple yards and McCarthy connects with Johnson, quickly putting the offense in a third-down situation. It's an incompletion on third down and Michigan is forced to punt yet again.
Drive starts: IOWA 9 (3:44 2nd)
Williams gets a couple carries on first and second down, collecting five yards in total. Hill's pass is batted away in the backfield and the Hawkeyes are punting.
Drive starts: MICH 19 (1:43 2nd)
McCarthy finds Johnson for seven yards on first down and picks up the first with a 10-yard throw down the middle to Edwards. After tossing a completion on the next set of downs, he dumps it off to Edwards for four yards to set up third-and-6. Loveland drops a pass from McCarthy and Michigan punts it away.
Drive starts: IOWA 24 (0:46 2nd)
Hill picks up seven yards on first down with a pass to Brown, but a false start wipes away five of those yards on the ensuing play. He's sacked on second down and Iowa's offense faces a third-and-16. Williams rushes for six yards on a draw play and again, the Hawkeyes punting unit assumes the field.
Drive starts: MICH 26 (0:16 2nd)
Edwards picks up 17 yards on first down, putting the offense near midfield. Iowa notches yet another sack to close the half.
Corum notches TD, Michigan extends lead
Drive starts: IOWA 25 (6:01 1st)
Hill throws a 7-yard completion on first down, setting up second-and-manageable. Running back Leshon Williams gets two straight carries, rushing for 4-yards total and a first down.
Williams gets just a yard on a first-down rush to start off the next series. Jaziun Patterson notches just a couple yards on second to make it a long third down. A false start makes matters worse, forcing third-and-12. The Hawkeyes run a reverse, picking up just five yards. Iowa punts it away.
Drive starts: IOWA 5 (1:39 1st)
Semaj Morgan picks up 87 yards on an electric punt return, slipping past plenty of defenders to set up the Wolverine offense at the 5-yard line.
Corum picks up three yards on first down, then punches it in at the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown.
Michigan 10, Iowa 0 (1:07 1st)
Michigan's settles for field goal, takes early 3-0 lead
Drive starts: IOWA 25 (15:00 1st)
Quarterback Deacon Hill throws an incompletion on first down and running back Kaleb Brown rushes for five yards on second. Hill faces pressure on third down and tosses another incompletion, forcing a three-and-out.
Drive starts: MICH 31 (13:36 1st)
Running back Blake Corum plows ahead for four yards on first down. He notches just a couple yards on a second-down carry. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy throws a 13-yard pass down the middle of the field on third down, keeping the drive alive and putting the offense at midfield.
Corum gets another first-down carry, this one good for five yards. McCarthy zips a quick second-down pass for six yards and a first. He kicks off the next set of downs with an incompletion, throwing just over Colston Loveland's hands. Running back Kalel Mulling notches a 4-yard rush to make it third-and-6. Michigan notches another 4-yard rush, this one courtesy of running back Donovan Edwards. A false-start on fourth-and-2 forces the offense back five yards, but the Wolverines still elect to attempt a conversion. McCarthy zips a quick 10-yard pass to Cornelius Johnson to keep the drive alive.
Edwards gets the first-down carry this time around, rumbling ahead for five yards. Johnson hauls in a tough 2-yard diving catch on second to set up third-and-2. However, Iowa's defense makes another third-down stop, holding Corum to just one yard to make it fourth-and-1.
However, Michigan elects to settle for a field goal this time around. Kicker James Turner nails a 35-yarder and Michigan takes an early 3-0 lead.
Michigan 3, Iowa 0 (6:01 1st)
Pregame
Michigan will compete for its third straight Big Ten Championship this Saturday, taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes for the second time in that stretch. The Wolverines earned their place in the championship last Saturday, capping off their undefeated season with a 30-24 victory over Ohio State at the Big House.
That win was the third straight over the rival Buckeyes, further illustrating Michigan's dominance over the rest of the conference. Ohio State also entered the game with an 11-0 record.
Michigan's offense fulfilled its end of the bargain in the victory. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was characteristically efficient, going 14 for 20 through the air for 148 yards and a touchdown. Running back Blake Corum notched 88 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
However, it was defense that won the day for the Wolverines. The unit notched two interceptions on the afternoon, including the game-sealing pick from Rod Moore in the waning minutes of the matchup.
Iowa enters Saturday's championship game with a 10-2 record. Nearly every single victory has been a nail biter, thanks in part to an awful offense. The unit is ranked dead last in total offense according to NCAA.com, earning just 246.3 yards per game.
More:Blake Corum returns to Big Ten title game, ready to keep Michigan football on March
More:Scouting report: Michigan vs. Iowa, Big Ten Championship Game
More:Predictions: Michigan vs. Iowa, Big Ten Championship Game
Despite a consistently inept showing from the offense, Iowa's defense has ensured a top 25 rankings and a double-digit regular season win count. The defense ranks No. 7 in total defense, holding opponents to 279.9 yards per game.
Follow along here for live updates from Detroit News contributor Alex Faber.
Big TenChampionship
MICHIGAN VS. IOWA
▶Kickoff:8 p.m. Saturday, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
▶TV/radio:Fox/950, 104.3
▶Line:Michigan by 22½
▶Records:No. 2 Michigan 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten); No. 18 Iowa 10-2 (7-2)
▶Series:Michigan leads 45-14-4 (Last game: October 1, 2022 — Michigan 27, (at) Iowa 14)
