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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox NCAA football yearly game
| game_name = Big Ten Football Championship Game
| title_sponsor =
| subheader = Conference Championship
| image = 2021_Big_Ten_Football_Championship_Game_logo.jpg
| pixels =
| caption =
| date_game_played = December 4
| year_game_played = 2021
| football_season = 2021
| stadium = [[Lucas Oil Stadium]]
| city = [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
| home_school = University of Iowa
| home_name_short = Iowa
| home_nickname = Hawkeyes
| home_record = 10–2
| home_rank_AP = 15
| home_rank_coaches = 12
| home_rank_CFP = 13
| home_coach = [[Kirk Ferentz]]
| home_1q = 3
| home_2q = 0
| home_3q = 0
| home_4q = 0
| visitor_school = University of Michigan
| visitor_name_short = Michigan
| visitor_nickname = Wolverines
| visitor_record = 11–1
| visitor_rank_AP = 2
| visitor_rank_coaches = 3
| visitor_rank_CFP = 2
| visitor_coach = [[Jim Harbaugh]]
| visitor_1q = 14
| visitor_2q = 0
| visitor_3q = 7
| visitor_4q = 21
| MVP = [[Aidan Hutchinson]], DE, Michigan
| odds = Michigan by 11
| anthem =
| referee = Mike Cannon<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2021/11/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-college-football-conference-championship-games/ |title=Officiating crews for the 2021 college football conference championship games |website=footballzebras.com |date=November 30, 2021 |accessdate=December 4, 2021}}</ref>
| halftime =
| attendance = 67,183
| us_network = [[Fox College Football|Fox]]
| us_announcers = [[Gus Johnson (sportscaster)|Gus Johnson]] (play-by-play), [[Joel Klatt]] (analyst) and [[Jenny Taft]] (sideline)
| ratings =
| intl_network =
| intl_announcers =
}}
{{2021 Big Ten Conference football standings}}
The '''2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game''' was a [[college football]] game played on December 4, 2021, at [[Lucas Oil Stadium]] in [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]. It was the 11th edition of the [[Big Ten Football Championship Game]] and determined the champion of the [[2021 Big Ten Conference football season|Big Ten Conference]] for the [[2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2021 season]]. The game began at 8:19 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]] and aired on [[Fox College Football|Fox]]. The game featured the {{abbr|No.|Number}} 2 [[2021 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan Wolverines]], the East Division champions, and the {{abbr|No.|Number}} 13 [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa Hawkeyes]], the West Division champions. The game was officially known as the '''Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover''', owing to its sponsorship by the [[Discover Card|credit card company]].

==Teams==
The 2021 Big Ten Championship Game featured the [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan Wolverines]], champions of the East Division, and the [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa Hawkeyes]], champions of the West Division. This was the teams' 62nd all-time meeting, with Michigan entering the game leading the series 42–15–4.<ref name="um-notes">{{cite web |title=Game Notes: Michigan vs. Iowa, Big Ten Championship |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/mgoblue.com/documents/2021/11/29/20211129_fbl_notes_iowa_bigtenchampionship.pdf |website=Michigan Wolverines Football |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> The teams first met in [[1900 college football season|1900]] and have met frequently since the early 1950s as [[Big Ten Conference]] opponents.<ref name="um-media">{{cite web |title=2021 Michigan Football Media Guide: Victors Valiant |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/mgoblue.com/documents/2017/9/7/fbl_guide_17_valiant.pdf |website=Michigan Wolverines Football |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> They last met in [[2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2019]], a game which resulted in a 10–3 Michigan win.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Knoop |first1=Trent |title=3 keys to a Michigan win vs. Iowa |url=https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/lists/3-keys-to-a-michigan-win-vs-iowa/ |website=USA Today |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=30 November 2021}}</ref> Further, this was the first time that Michigan and Iowa met in the postseason.<ref name="um-media" />

In its eleventh year of existence, this year marked Michigan's first-ever appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game.<ref>{{cite web |title=Michigan Earns Big Ten Football Championship Game Berth |url=https://bigten.org/news/2021/11/27/michigan-earns-big-ten-football-championship-game-berth.aspx |website=Big Ten Conference |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Iowa made its second appearance after debuting in [[2015 Big Ten Football Championship Game|2015]] in a loss to the [[2015 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State Spartans]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hanson |first1=Austin |title=What’s at stake for Iowa football in the Big Ten Championship Game |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2021/12/02/whats-at-stake-for-iowa-football-in-the-big-ten-championship-game/ |website=The Daily Iowan |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=2 December 2021}}</ref> Michigan entered the game seeking its 43rd all-time conference championship,<ref name="um-notes" /> while Iowa entered seeking its 12th;<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Iowa Football Media Guide |url=https://storage.googleapis.com/hawkeyesports-com/2021/08/68121dbc-2021-fb-media-guide.pdf |website=Iowa Hawkeyes Football |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> each team's last title came in [[2004 NCAA Division I-A football season|2004]], when the Wolverines and Hawkeyes shared the conference crown.<ref>{{cite web |title=Big Ten 2004 Football Season Wrapup |url=https://bigten.org/news/2005/1/6/Big_Ten_2004_Football_Season_Wrapup.aspx?path=football |website=Big Ten Conference |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=6 January 2005}}</ref> This game also marked the first time since [[2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game|2016]] that the East Division was not represented by [[Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Big Ten Football Media Guide |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/bigten.org/documents/2021/7/21/2021_BIG_TEN_FOOTBALL_MEDIA_GUIDE.pdf |website=Big Ten Conference |access-date=3 December 2021 |pages=11–16}}</ref>

===Michigan Wolverines===
{{main article|2021 Michigan Wolverines football team}}
Seventh-year head coach [[Jim Harbaugh]] and the Michigan Wolverines began their 2021 season with a series of four straight home games at [[Michigan Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Michigan Football Schedule |url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa-2021/team/michigan |website=FBSchedules |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> The first, against [[2021 Western Michigan Broncos football team|Western Michigan]], saw the Wolverines dominate the Broncos by five touchdowns,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zuke |first1=Ryan |last2=Kahn |first2=Andrew |title=Michigan dominates Western Michigan 47-14: Live updates recap |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2021/09/live-updates-michigan-western-michigan-kick-off-2021-season.html |website=M Live |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=4 September 2021}}</ref> before defeating [[2021 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] in a game that drew considerably less hype after the Huskies' upset loss to [[2021 Montana Grizzlies football team|Montana]] the week prior.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bianchi |first1=Nolan |title=Recap: Michigan stumps Washington at Big House, 31-10 |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2021/09/11/live-updates-michigan-wolverines-football-vs-washington/8264385002/ |website=The Detroit News |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=11 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Selbe |first1=Nick |title=Montana Shocks No. 20 Washington in 13-7 Upset Win |url=https://www.si.com/college/2021/09/05/montana-upsets-washington-fcs-team |website=Sports Illustrated |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en-us |date=4 September 2021}}</ref> The Wolverines earned a spot at No. 25 in the [[2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings#AP Poll|AP Poll]] entering their third game,<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 25 Michigan hosts Northern Illinois, former Spartans QB |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2021/09/16/no-25-michigan-hosts-northern-illinois-former-spartans-qb/118829770/ |website=USA Today |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=16 September 2021}}</ref> a matchup with [[2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team|Northern Illinois]], which they won handily.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Crawford |first1=Kirkland |title=Michigan football dominates Northern Illinois, 63-10 |url=https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2021/09/18/michigan-football-northern-illinois-time-tv-radio-etc/8371940002/ |website=Detroit Free Press |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=18 September 2021}}</ref> Michigan then claimed a close decision against [[2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team|Rutgers]] on [[homecoming]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bianchi |first1=Nolan |title=Recap: Michigan avoids second-half collapse to take down Rutgers, 20-13 |url=https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2021/09/25/live-updates-michigan-wolverines-football-rutgers-scarlet-knights/5828143001/ |website=The Detroit News |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=25 September 2021}}</ref> improving the Wolverines to 4–0 and placing them into the top 15.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sayfie |first1=Clayton |title=Michigan Football Surges To No. 14 In AP Poll |url=https://michigan.rivals.com/news/michigan-football-surges-to-no-14-in-ap-poll |website=The Maize and Blue Review |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=26 September 2021}}</ref> Entering October, the Wolverines faced their first road conference games; they first faced [[2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team|Wisconsin]], whom they defeated by three touchdowns,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mellenthin |first1=Ryan |title=Wisconsin suffers second-straight loss, beaten by No. 14 Michigan, 38-17 |url=https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2021/10/2/22706158/full-recap-wisconsin-badgers-football-michigan-wolverines-38-17-graham-mertz-chase-wolf-daxton-hill |website=SB Nation |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=2 October 2021}}</ref> and then took down [[2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]], though only by three points, thanks to a [[Jake Moody]] field goal with under two minutes remaining.<ref>{{cite web |title=Moody's late FG lifts No. 9 Michigan past Nebraska 32-29 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20211009_MICH@NEB/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=10 October 2021}}</ref> This set up the Wolverines for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season so far, a [[Michigan–Michigan State football rivalry|rivalry]] faceoff between No. 6 Michigan and No. 8 [[2021 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]], marking the first time since [[1964 NCAA Division I-A football season|1964]] that the teams had met while each in the top ten.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lassan |first1=Steven |title=Michigan vs. Michigan State Football Prediction and Preview |url=https://athlonsports.com/college-football/michigan-wolverines-vs-michigan-state-spartans-prediction-picks-2021 |website=Athlon Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=29 October 2021}}</ref> After a back-and-forth game, the Spartans prevailed with a four-point win, handing Michigan its first loss of the season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mohr |first1=Dani |title=Kenneth Walker III leads Spartans to rivalry win over Wolverines |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/michigan-michigan-state-live-score-highlights/vjf0av6ua0bj1h6hmtmu1c2jc |website=Sporting News |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=31 October 2021}}</ref> The Wolverines were able to bounce back, as they began November with a win over [[2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]],<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 9 Michigan tops Indiana 29-7, bounces back from 1st loss |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20211106_IND@MICH/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=7 November 2021}}</ref> and followed it up with a road win in [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]] against the [[2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State Nittany Lions]].<ref>{{cite web |title=McNamara, No. 9 Michigan rally past No. 23 Penn State 21-17 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401282780 |website=ESPN |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=13 November 2021}}</ref> In its final road game, Michigan routed [[2021 Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland]], winning by 41 points.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Zuke |first1=Ryan |title=Michigan trounces Maryland 59-18 |url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2021/11/live-updates-michigan-faces-maryland-in-final-road-game.html |website=M Live |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=20 November 2021}}</ref> After this win the Wolverines were ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff poll entering their home finale against [[Michigan–Ohio State football rivalry|archrivals]] No. 2 [[2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Putnik |first1=Gary |title=No. 5 Michigan beats No. 2 Ohio State for the first time since 2011 |url=https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/football/fbs/no-5-michigan-beats-no-2-ohio-state-first-time-2011 |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=28 November 2021}}</ref> For the first time ever under Harbaugh, and the first time since [[2011 Michigan Wolverines football team|2011]], the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes and, with the victory, clinched its spot in the championship game with a 8–1 conference record and a head-to-head tiebreaker against Ohio State.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/11/27/football-haskins-powers-michigan-past-no-2-ohio-state-into-big-ten-championship-game.aspx|title=Haskins Powers Michigan Past No. 2 Ohio State, into Big Ten Championship Game|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=MGoBlue|first1=Dave|last1=Ablauf|first2=Chad|last2=Shepard|access-date=November 27, 2021|date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> As a result of the win, Michigan rose to No. 2 in the College Football Playoff poll entering the Big Ten Championship, behind only No. 1 [[2021 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Palm |first1=Jerry |last2=Silverstein |first2=Adam |title=College Football Playoff Rankings: Michigan takes No. 2 spot, Cincinnati holds at No. 4 in new top 25 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-playoff-rankings-michigan-takes-no-2-spot-cincinnati-holds-at-no-4-in-new-top-25/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=30 November 2021}}</ref>

On December 2, Michigan announced that it would wear a special jersey patch to honor the victims of the [[2021 Oxford High School shooting]] that had taken place in [[Oxford Township, Michigan]] on November 30, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=VanHaaren |first1=Tom |title=Michigan Wolverines football team to wear jersey patch honoring Oxford High School shooting victims |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32773552/michigan-wear-jersey-patch-honoring-oxford-high-school-shooting-victims |website=ESPN |access-date=December 3, 2021 |language=en |date=December 3, 2021}}</ref>

===Iowa Hawkeyes===
{{main article|2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team}}
With 23rd-year head coach [[Kirk Ferentz]] at the helm, the Iowa Hawkeyes got their season off to a quick start with wins over two ranked opponents in their first two games.<ref>{{cite web |title=2021 Iowa Football Schedule |url=https://fbschedules.com/ncaa-2021/team/iowa |website=FBSchedules |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref> Their season opener saw No. 18 Iowa defeat No. 17 [[2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team|Indiana]] by four touchdowns,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Felts |first1=Patrick |title=No. 17 IU football falls 34-6 at No. 18 Iowa in season opener |url=https://www.idsnews.com/article/2021/09/instant-recap-no-17-iu-football-falls-34-6-at-no-18-iowa-in-season-opener |website=Indiana Daily Student |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=4 September 2021}}</ref> which put them into the top ten in time for their second game, at No. 9 [[2021 Iowa State Cyclones football team|Iowa State]]. After capturing the lead in the second quarter, Iowa did not relinquish it, and upset the Cyclones by ten points.<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 9 Iowa beats No. 10 Iowa St 27-17 to keep Cy-Hawk Trophy |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20210911_IOWA@IOWAST/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=11 September 2021}}</ref> This win vaulted Iowa to No. 5 in the AP Poll,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cerna |first1=Alfonso |title=Iowa football moves into No. 5 spot in AP rankings |url=https://www.wqad.com/article/news/local/hawkeyes-football-top-5/526-85bc1ace-c918-4b7b-afaa-c5ed0610af4a |website=WQAD |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=September 13, 2021}}</ref> where they remained through their next two home non-conference victories against [[2021 Kent State Golden Flashes football team|Kent State]] and [[2021 Colorado State Rams football team|Colorado State]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Withrow |first1=Lauren |title=Around the Big Ten: Kent State at No. 5 Iowa Game Recap |url=https://www.si.com/college/northwestern/football/around-the-big-ten-kent-state-at-no-5-iowa-game-recap |website=Sports Illustrated |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=18 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Southard |first1=Dargan |title=Recap: Iowa football holds on to beat Colorado State, 24-14 |url=https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2021/09/25/iowa-football-vs-colorado-state-csu-score-live-updates-watch-highlights-hawkeyes-tyler-goodson/5842553001/ |website=Hawk Central |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=25 September 2021}}</ref> The Hawkeyes returned to conference play with a road tilt against Maryland, whom they defeated handily.<ref>{{cite web |title=No. 5 Iowa forces 7 turnovers in 51-14 rout of Maryland |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20211001_IOWA@MD/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=2 October 2021}}</ref> Now 5–0 and ranked No. 3,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Steppe |first1=John |title=Iowa moves to No. 3 in AP Poll |url=https://www.thegazette.com/hawkeye-football/iowa-moves-to-no-3-in-ap-poll/ |website=The Gazette |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=October 3, 2021}}</ref> Iowa returned home to play host to No. 4 Penn State; the Hawkeyes trailed by double-digits in the first quarter but recovered to win the game 23–20,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Becton |first1=Stan |title=No. 3 Iowa rallies past No. 4 Penn State to remain undefeated {{!}} NCAA.com |url=https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/football/fbs/no-3-iowa-rallies-past-no-4-penn-state-remain-undefeated |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=11 October 2021}}</ref> which put them at No. 2 in the polls.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Chelsie |title=Iowa up to No. 2 in AP rankings |url=https://www.kcrg.com/2021/10/10/iowa-up-no-2-ap-rankings/ |website=KCRG |access-date=3 December 2021 |language=en |date=October 10, 2021}}</ref> Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, their bid for an undefeated season would come to an end the following week, as they were upset by [[2021 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]] at home.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Southard |first1=Dargan |title=Recap: No. 2 Iowa football falls to Purdue at Kinnick Stadium for first loss of season |url=https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2021/10/16/iowa-football-vs-purdue-score-watch-live-updates-stream-highlights-big-ten-conference-schedule/8488133002/ |website=Hawk Central |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=16 October 2021}}</ref> Iowa would go on to drop their next game as well, a road matchup with Wisconsin, having been outscored 14–51 in their back-to-back losses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Defense carries Wisconsin to 27-7 triumph over No. 9 Iowa |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/recap/NCAAF_20211030_IOWA@WISC/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=30 October 2021}}</ref> These setbacks dropped Iowa to No. 22 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hanson |first1=Austin |title=Iowa debuts at No. 22 in College Football Playoff rankings |url=https://dailyiowan.com/2021/11/02/iowa-debuts-at-no-22-in-college-football-playoff-rankings/#:~:text=The%20College%20Football%20Playoff%20Committee%2C%20chaired%20by%20Iowa%20Athletics%20Director,the%20USA%20Today%20Coaches%20Poll. |website=The Daily Iowan |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=November 2, 2021}}</ref> but the Hawkeyes bounced back effectively with a road win at [[2021 Northwestern Wildcats football team|Northwestern]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Seligman |first1=Andrew |title=No. 19 Iowa changes quarterbacks, beats Northwestern 17-12 |url=https://cbs2iowa.com/sports/cbs2-local-sports/no-19-iowa-changes-quarterbacks-beats-northwestern-17-12-11-08-2021#:~:text=Huh)%7B%2Fp%7D-,EVANSTON%2C%20Ill.,and%20a%20touchdown%20and%20No. |website=KGAN |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=8 November 2021}}</ref> and home wins against [[2021 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team|Minnesota]] and [[2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team|Illinois]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Creglow |first1=Zack |title=No. 14 Iowa 27, Minnesota 22: Hawkeyes edge Golden Gophers to keep the Floyd of Rosedale |url=https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2021/11/13/iowa-football-vs-minnesota-score-watch-live-updates-schedule-highlights-ncaa-big-ten-floyd-rosedale/6391279001/ |website=Hawk Central |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=November 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=No. 17 Iowa Downs Illinois, 33-23, for 9th Win |url=https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2021/11/20/no-17-iowa-downs-illinois-33-23-for-9th-win/ |website=University of Iowa Athletics |access-date=3 December 2021 |date=20 November 2021}}</ref> Going into the final weekend of the regular season, [[2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team|Iowa]], Minnesota, and Wisconsin remained in contention for a spot in the championship game.<ref name=Scenario>{{cite press release|url=https://bigten.org/news/2021/11/22/week-13-football-release.aspx |title=Week 13 Football Release |publisher=Big Ten Conference |date=November 22, 2021 |access-date=November 22, 2021}}</ref> The Hawkeyes defeated [[2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]] on November 26,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/no-17-iowas-rally-deals-huskers-another-heartbreaking-loss |title=No. 17 Iowa's Rally Deals Huskers Another Heartbreaking Loss |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |date=November 26, 2021 |access-date=November 26, 2021}}</ref> thereby eliminating Minnesota from contention for the championship game.<ref>{{cite web |first=Andy |last=Greder |date=November 20, 2021 |title=How Gophers can still win the Big Ten West division |url=https://www.twincities.com/2021/11/20/how-gophers-can-still-win-the-big-ten-west-division/|website=Twin Cities Pioneer Press|access-date=November 22, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> On November 27, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, giving Iowa the outright division championship and a place in the title game.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collegefootball.ap.org/article/minnesota-chops-down-no-18-wisconsin-23-13-take-back-axe |title=Minnesota Chops Down No. 18 Wisconsin 23-13 To Take Back Axe |publisher=Associated Press |date=November 27, 2021 |access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref>
{{-}}

==Game summary==
{{Americanfootballbox
|titlestyle= {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Big Ten Conference|color=white}}; text-align:center;
|bg=#fff
|bg2=#eee
|title=2021 Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover
|date=December 4, 2021
|time=8:19 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
|road=No. 2 Michigan
|R1=14 |R2=0 |R3=7 |R4=21
|home=No. 13 Iowa
|H1=3 |H2=0 |H3=0 |H4=0
|stadium= [[Lucas Oil Stadium]] • [[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, Indiana]]
|attendance=67,183
|weather=n/a ''(game played indoors)''
|referee=Mike Cannon
|TV= [[Fox College Football|Fox]]
|TVAnnouncers=[[Gus Johnson (sportscaster)|Gus Johnson]] (play-by-play), [[Joel Klatt]] (analyst), [[Jenny Taft]] (sideline)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/2021/12/04/big-ten-championship-game-tv-announcers-fox-gus-johnson-joel-klatt-jenny-taft-michigan-football-iowa/8861738002/ |title=Who are the Big Ten Championship game announcers for Iowa football vs. Michigan? |first=Adam |last=Hensley |agency=Hawk Central |website=[[The Des Moines Register]] |date=December 4, 2021 |accessdate=December 4, 2021}}</ref>
|reference=[https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401331447 Box score]
|state=uncollapsed
|scoring=
;First quarter
* 6:38 Michigan – [[Blake Corum]] 67 yd rush ([[Jake Moody]] kick) – 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:57 ('''Michigan 7–0''')
* 5:27 Michigan – [[Roman Wilson]] 75 yd pass from [[Donovan Edwards]] (Jake Moody kick) – 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10 ('''Michigan 14–0''')
* 1:26 Iowa – Caleb Shudak 22 yd FG – 10 plays, 71 yards, 4:01 ('''Michigan 14–3''')
;Second quarter
* ''no scoring plays''
;Third quarter
* 8:23 Michigan – [[Hassan Haskins]] 4 yd rush (Jake Moody kick) – 10 plays, 82 yards, 5:04 ('''Michigan 21–3''')
;Fourth quarter
* 11:16 Michigan – Hassan Haskins 1 yd rush (Jake Moody kick) – 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:33 ('''Michigan 28–3''')
* 5:24 Michigan – [[Erick All]] 5 yd pass from [[Cade McNamara]] (Jake Moody kick) – 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:55 ('''Michigan 35–3''')
* 1:25 Michigan – Donovan Edwards 1 yard run (Jake Moody kick) – 6 plays, 36 yards, 2:56 ('''Michigan 42–3''')
}}

==Statistics==
<div style="float:left;width:33%">

===Team statistics===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Team statistical comparison<ref name="ESPNstats">{{cite web |title=Michigan vs. Iowa - Team Statistics - December 4, 2021 - ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/matchup?gameId=401331447 |website=ESPN |access-date=26 July 2022 |date=4 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="ESPNbox">{{cite web |title=Michigan vs. Iowa - Box Score - December 4, 2021 - ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401331447 |website=ESPN |access-date=26 July 2022 |date=4 December 2021}}</ref>
|-
!Statistic
!style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Michigan Wolverines}}"|'''Michigan'''
!style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}"|'''Iowa'''
|-
|First downs|| 21 || 15
|-
|Third down efficiency|| 4–10 || 5–19
|-
|Fourth down efficiency|| 0–1 || 0–1
|-
|Total plays–net yards|| 62–461 || 71–279
|-
|Rushing attempts–net yards|| 34–211 || 33–104
|-
|Yards per rush|| 6.2 || 3.2
|-
|Yards passing|| 250 || 175
|-
|Pass completions–attempts|| 18–28 || 19–38
|-
|Interceptions thrown|| 2 || 1
|-
|Punt returns–total yards|| 2–17 || 2–-6
|-
|Kickoff returns–total yards|| 0–0 || 0–0
|-
|Punts–total yardage|| 5–255 || 8–331
|-
|Fumbles–lost|| 0–0 || 1–0
|-
|Penalties–yards|| 4–50 || 5–55
|-
|Time of possession|| 28:21 || 31:39
|}
</div>
<div style="float:left;width:33%">

===Individual statistics===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Michigan statistics<ref name="ESPNbox"></ref>
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Michigan Wolverines}}"|Wolverines passing
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|C–A|Completions–Attempts}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Passing yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Passing touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|INT|Interceptions thrown}}
|-
| [[Cade McNamara]] || 16–24 || 169 || 1 || 1
|-
| [[Donovan Edwards]] || 1–1 || 75 || 1 || 0
|-
| [[J. J. McCarthy]] || 1–3 || 6 || 0 || 1
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Michigan Wolverines}}"|Wolverines rushing
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Car|Carries}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Rushing yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Rushing touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Avg|Average yards per carry}}
|-
| [[Blake Corum]] || 5 || 74 || 1 || 14.8
|-
| [[Hassan Haskins]] || 17 || 56 || 2 || 3.3
|-
| [[A. J. Henning]] || 1 || 29 || 0 || 29.0
|-
| [[J. J. McCarthy]] || 4 || 23 || 0 || 5.8
|-
| [[Cornelius Johnson (wide receiver)|Cornelius Johnson]] || 1 || 17 || 0 || 17.0
|-
| [[Cade McNamara]] || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3.0
|-
| Leon Franklin || 1 || 5 || 0 || 5.0
|-
| [[Donovan Edwards]] || 3 || 1 || 1 || 0.3
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegeSecondaryStyle|Michigan Wolverines}}"|Wolverines receiving
|-
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Rec|Receptions}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Receiving yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Receiving touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Avg|Average yards per reception}}
|-
| Roman Wilson || 2 || 82 || 1 || 41.0
|-
| Luke Schoonmaker || 2 || 49 || 0 || 24.5
|-
| [[Erick All]] || 2 || 43 || 1 || 21.5
|-
| [[Hassan Haskins]] || 3 || 22 || 0 || 7.3
|-
| [[Donovan Edwards]] || 3 || 20 || 0 || 6.7
|-
| [[Cornelius Johnson (wide receiver)|Cornelius Johnson]] || 1 || 15 || 0 || 15.0
|-
| Carter Selzer || 1 || 6 || 0 || 6.0
|-
| [[Andrel Anthony]] || 1 || 6 || 0 || 6.0
|-
| [[Blake Corum]] || 2 || 6 || 0 || 3.0
|-
| [[Mike Sainristil]] || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1.0
|-
|}</div>
<div style="float:right;width:33%">
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Iowa statistics<ref name="ESPNbox"></ref>
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}"|Hawkeyes passing
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|C–A|Completions–Attempts}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Passing yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Passing touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|INT|Interceptions thrown}}
|-
| [[Spencer Petras]] || 9–22 || 137 || 0 || 0
|-
| Alex Padilla || 10–15 || 38 || 0 || 1
|-
| Gavin Williams || 0–1 || 0 || 0 || 0
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}"|Hawkeyes rushing
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Car|Carries}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Rushing yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Rushing touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Avg|Average yards per carry}}
|-
| Gavin Williams || 12 || 56 || 0 || 4.7
|-
| [[Tyler Goodson]] || 18 || 50 || 0 || 2.8
|-
| Charlie Jones || 1 || 6 || 0 || 6.0
|-
| Arland Bruce IV || 1 || 2 || 0 || 2.0
|-
| [[Spencer Petras]] || 1 || -10 || 0 || -10.0
|-
!colspan="6" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Iowa Hawkeyes}}"|Hawkeyes receiving
|-
|-
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Rec|Receptions}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Yds|Receiving yards}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|TD|Receiving touchdowns}}
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Avg|Average yards per reception}}
|-
| [[Sam LaPorta]] || 6 || 62 || 0 || 10.3
|-
| Charlie Jones || 2 || 41 || 0 || 20.5
|-
| [[Tyler Goodson]] || 6 || 28 || 0 || 4.7
|-
| Luke Lachey || 1 || 22 || 0 || 22.0
|-
| Keagan Johnson || 1 || 13 || 0 || 13.0
|-
| Arland Bruce IV || 2 || 10 || 0 || 5.0
|-
| Gavin Williams || 1 || -1 || 0 || -1.0
|-
|}
</div>
{{clear}}

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

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=380464 Game statistics] at statbroadcast.com

{{2021 NCAA football conference championships}}
{{Big Ten Football Championship Game navbox}}
{{Michigan Wolverines football navbox}}
{{Iowa Hawkeyes football navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game}}
[[Category:2021 Big Ten Conference football season|Championship]]
[[Category:Big Ten Football Championship Game]]
[[Category:Iowa Hawkeyes football games]]
[[Category:Michigan Wolverines football games]]
[[Category:December 2021 sports events in the United States|Big Ten Football Championship Game]]
[[Category:2021 in sports in Indiana|Big Ten Football Champ]]
[[Category:2020s in Indianapolis]]

2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 08:33, 22 July 2023