View source for 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name            = Big Ten Football Championship Game
| title_sponsor        = 
| subheader            = Conference Championship
| image                = 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game logo.svg
| pixels               = 
| caption              = 
| date_game_played     = December 19
| year_game_played     = 2020
| football_season      = 2020
| stadium              = [[Lucas Oil Stadium]]
| city                 = [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| home_school          = Ohio State University
| home_name_short      = Ohio State
| home_nickname        = Buckeyes
| home_record          = 5–0
| home_rank_AP         = 3
| home_rank_coaches    = 4
| home_rank_CFP        = 4
| home_coach           = [[Ryan Day]]
| home_1q              = 3
| home_2q              = 3
| home_3q              = 7
| home_4q              = 9
| visitor_school       = Northwestern University
| visitor_name_short   = Northwestern
| visitor_nickname     = Wildcats
| visitor_record       = 6–1
| visitor_rank_AP      = 15
| visitor_rank_coaches = 14
| visitor_rank_CFP     = 14
| visitor_coach        = [[Pat Fitzgerald]]
| visitor_1q           = 7
| visitor_2q           = 3
| visitor_3q           = 0
| visitor_4q           = 0
| MVP                  = [[Trey Sermon]], RB, Ohio State
| odds                 = Ohio State by 16.5<ref>{{cite web |title=ESPN Game Summary - Ohio State vs. Northwestern - December 19, 2020 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401247349 |website=ESPN.com |access-date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>
| anthem               = Kindergarten class
| referee              = Mark Kluczynski
| halftime             = none
| attendance           = 3,178
| us_network           = [[Fox College Football|Fox]]
| us_announcers        = [[Gus Johnson (sportscaster)|Gus Johnson]] (play-by-play), [[Joel Klatt]] (analyst) and [[Jenny Taft]] (sideline)
| ratings              = 8.03 million
| intl_network         = 
| intl_announcers      = 
}}
{{2020 Big Ten football standings}}
The '''2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game''' was a college football game played on December 19, 2020, at [[Lucas Oil Stadium]] in [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]. The tenth annual [[Big Ten Football Championship Game]], it determined the 2020 champion of the [[2020 Big Ten Conference football season|Big Ten Conference]]. The game was played between the No. 4 [[2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State Buckeyes]] out of the East division, and the No. 14 [[2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team|Northwestern Wildcats]] out of the West division. Sponsored by credit card company [[Discover Card|Discover]], the game was officially known as the '''Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover'''.

==History==
The 2020 Championship Game was the tenth in the Big Ten's 125-year history and the seventh to feature the conference's East and West alignment. East division champion [[2019 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] won the [[2019 Big Ten Football Championship Game|2019 game]] over West division champion [[2019 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]] by a score of 34–21.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401132983 |title=ESPN Game Summary - Ohio State vs. Wisconsin |access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref>

==Teams==
Ohio State and Northwestern faced each other in the Big Ten Championship Game for the second time. Ohio State won the first championship game between the two schools, in [[2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game|2018]].

===Northwestern===
{{main|2020 Northwestern Wildcats football team}}
Northwestern booked their place in the Championship Game by winning the West Division with a record of 6–1 (6–1 Big Ten). The Wildcats were making their second appearance in the Championship Game, with the only previous appearance coming in 2018 against Ohio State. The Wildcats were ranked 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the game.

===Ohio State===
{{See also|2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team}}
Ohio State secured their place in the Championship Game by winning the East Division with an undefeated 5–0 (5–0 Big Ten) regular season record. This was Ohio State's sixth appearance in the Championship Game, and fourth consecutive. They were the three-time reigning conference champions. The Buckeyes were ranked fourth in the [[College Football Playoff]] rankings heading into the game.

Originally, Ohio State would not have qualified to play in the championship game due to the Big Ten's six-game minimum rule that was adopted in light of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], but that rule was eliminated shortly after Ohio State's final game, against [[2020 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]], was canceled.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rittenberg |first1=Adam |last2=Dinich |first2=Heather |title=Ohio St. into Big Ten finale after rule adjustment |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30483665/sources-big-ten-expected-change-6-game-rule |website=ESPN.com |access-date=December 14, 2020 |language=en |date=December 9, 2020}}</ref> This allowed the Buckeyes to advance to the Championship game at 5–0 over Big Ten East runners-up [[2020 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]], who finished 6–1.
{{Clear}}

==Game summary==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle= {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Big Ten Conference|color=white}}; text-align:center;
|state=autocollapse
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|title=2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game
|date=Saturday, December 19, 2020
|time= 12:18 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
|road= No. 14 Northwestern
|R1=7|R2=3|R3=0|R4=0
|home= '''No. 4 Ohio State'''
|H1=3|H2=3|H3=7|H4=9
|stadium= [[Lucas Oil Stadium]] • [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
|attendance= 3,178
|weather=n/a (''game played indoors'')
|referee=Mark Kluczynski
|TV=[[Fox College Football|Fox]]
|TVAnnouncers=[[Gus Johnson (sportscaster)|Gus Johnson]] (play-by-play), [[Joel Klatt]] (analyst) and [[Jenny Taft]] (sideline)
|reference=
|scoring=
;First quarter
*(6:34) OSU – Blake Haubeil 41 yard field goal (''Drive: 16 plays, 51 yards, 8:26; '''Ohio State 3–0''''')
*(4:02) NU – Cam Porter 9 yard rush, Charlie Kuhbander kick (''Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:32; '''Northwestern 7–3''''')
;Second quarter
*(8:46) NU – Charlie Kuhbander 47 yard field goal (''Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 6:00; '''Northwestern 10–3''''')
*(5:23) OSU – Blake Haubeil 43 yard field goal (''Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:23; '''Northwestern 10–6''''')
;Third quarter
*(2:41) OSU – [[Trey Sermon]] 9 yard rush, Blake Haubeil kick (''Drive: 7 plays, 71 yards, 2:23; '''Ohio State 13–10''''')
;Fourth quarter
*(12:07) OSU – Blake Haubeil 26 yard field goal (''Drive: 5 plays, 31 yards, 2:19; '''Ohio State 16–10''''')
*(4:03) OSU – Trey Sermon 3 yard rush, 2-point pass failed (''Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:46; '''Ohio State 22–10''''')
}}

===Statistics===
{{AmFootballGameStatistics
| Float          = left
| Visitor        = Northwestern Wildcats
| VisitorDisplay = NU
| Home           = Ohio State Buckeyes
| HomeDisplay    = OSU
| VisFirsts      = 19
| VisPlaysYds    = 71–329
| VisRushing     = 34–105
| VisPassYds     = 224
| VisPassing     = 24–37–2
| VisTOP         = 28:40
| HomeFirsts     = 24
| HomePlaysYds   = 71–513
| HomeRushing    = 44–399
| HomePassYds    = 114
| HomePassing    = 12–27–2
| HomeTOP        = 31:20
}}
{{AmFootballGameTopPlayers
| Float              = right
| Visitor            = Northwestern Wildcats
| VisitorDisplay     = Northwestern
| Home               = Ohio State Buckeyes
| HomeDisplay        = Ohio State
| VisPasser          = [[Peyton Ramsey]]
| VisPassStats       = 24/37, 224 yards, 2 INT
| VisRusher          = Cam Porter
| VisRushStats       = 16 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
| VisReceiver        = Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman
| VisReceivingStats  = 8 receptions, 103 yards
| HomePasser         = [[Justin Fields]]
| HomePassStats      = 12/27, 114 yards, 2 INT
| HomeRusher         = [[Trey Sermon]]
| HomeRushStats      = 29 carries, 331 yards, 2 TD{{efn|Trey Sermon's 331 rushing yards set a new Ohio State single-game school record.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sermon runs for record 331; OSU wins Big Ten |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30555692/trey-sermon-rushes-ohio-state-record-331-yards-buckeyes-win-big-ten-title |website=ESPN.com |access-date=December 19, 2020 |language=en |date=December 19, 2020}}</ref>}}
| HomeReceiver       = [[Julian Fleming]]
| HomeReceivingStats = 4 receptions, 53 yards
}}
{{Clear}}

==See also==
*[[List of Big Ten Conference football champions]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=323965 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com

{{2020 NCAA football conference championships}}
{{Big Ten Football Championship Game navbox}}
{{Northwestern Wildcats football navbox}}
{{Ohio State Buckeyes football navbox}}

[[Category:2020 Big Ten Conference football season|Championship Game]]
[[Category:Big Ten Football Championship Game]]
[[Category:Northwestern Wildcats football games]]
[[Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football games]]
[[Category:December 2020 sports events in the United States|Big Ten Football Championship Game]]
[[Category:2020 in sports in Indiana|Big Ten Football Championship Game]]
[[Category:2020s in Indianapolis]]