2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game

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Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox NCAA football yearly game Template: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, Indiana. It was the 11th edition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the Big Ten Conference for the 2021 season. The game began at 8:19 p.m. EST and aired on Fox. The game featured the Template:Abbr 2 Michigan Wolverines, the East Division champions, and the Template:Abbr 13 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 credit card company.

Teams

The 2021 Big Ten Championship Game featured the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the East Division, and the 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.[1] The teams first met in 1900 and have met frequently since the early 1950s as Big Ten Conference opponents.[2] They last met in 2019, a game which resulted in a 10–3 Michigan win.[3] Further, this was the first time that Michigan and Iowa met in the postseason.[2]

In its eleventh year of existence, this year marked Michigan's first-ever appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game.[4] Iowa made its second appearance after debuting in 2015 in a loss to the Michigan State Spartans.[5] Michigan entered the game seeking its 43rd all-time conference championship,[1] while Iowa entered seeking its 12th;[6] each team's last title came in 2004, when the Wolverines and Hawkeyes shared the conference crown.[7] This game also marked the first time since 2016 that the East Division was not represented by Ohio State.[8]

Michigan Wolverines

Template:Main article 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.[9] The first, against Western Michigan, saw the Wolverines dominate the Broncos by five touchdowns,[10] before defeating Washington in a game that drew considerably less hype after the Huskies' upset loss to Montana the week prior.[11][12] The Wolverines earned a spot at No. 25 in the AP Poll entering their third game,[13] a matchup with Northern Illinois, which they won handily.[14] Michigan then claimed a close decision against Rutgers on homecoming,[15] improving the Wolverines to 4–0 and placing them into the top 15.[16] Entering October, the Wolverines faced their first road conference games; they first faced Wisconsin, whom they defeated by three touchdowns,[17] and then took down Nebraska, though only by three points, thanks to a Jake Moody field goal with under two minutes remaining.[18] This set up the Wolverines for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season so far, a rivalry faceoff between No. 6 Michigan and No. 8 Michigan State, marking the first time since 1964 that the teams had met while each in the top ten.[19] After a back-and-forth game, the Spartans prevailed with a four-point win, handing Michigan its first loss of the season.[20] The Wolverines were able to bounce back, as they began November with a win over Indiana,[21] and followed it up with a road win in State College against the Penn State Nittany Lions.[22] In its final road game, Michigan routed Maryland, winning by 41 points.[23] After this win the Wolverines were ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff poll entering their home finale against archrivals No. 2 Ohio State.[24] For the first time ever under Harbaugh, and the first time since 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.[25] 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 Georgia.[26]

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.[27]

Iowa Hawkeyes

Template:Main article 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.[28] Their season opener saw No. 18 Iowa defeat No. 17 Indiana by four touchdowns,[29] which put them into the top ten in time for their second game, at No. 9 Iowa State. After capturing the lead in the second quarter, Iowa did not relinquish it, and upset the Cyclones by ten points.[30] This win vaulted Iowa to No. 5 in the AP Poll,[31] where they remained through their next two home non-conference victories against Kent State and Colorado State.[32][33] The Hawkeyes returned to conference play with a road tilt against Maryland, whom they defeated handily.[34] Now 5–0 and ranked No. 3,[35] 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,[36] which put them at No. 2 in the polls.[37] Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, their bid for an undefeated season would come to an end the following week, as they were upset by Purdue at home.[38] 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.[39] These setbacks dropped Iowa to No. 22 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings,[40] but the Hawkeyes bounced back effectively with a road win at Northwestern[41] and home wins against Minnesota and Illinois.[42][43] Going into the final weekend of the regular season, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin remained in contention for a spot in the championship game.[44] The Hawkeyes defeated Nebraska on November 26,[45] thereby eliminating Minnesota from contention for the championship game.[46] On November 27, Minnesota defeated Wisconsin, giving Iowa the outright division championship and a place in the title game.[47] Template:-

Game summary

Template:Americanfootballbox

Statistics

Team statistics

Team statistical comparison[48][49]
Statistic style="Template:CollegeSecondaryStyle"|Michigan style="Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"|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

Individual statistics

Michigan statistics[49]
colspan="6" style="Template:CollegeSecondaryStyle"|Wolverines passing
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
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="Template:CollegeSecondaryStyle"|Wolverines rushing
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
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 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="Template:CollegeSecondaryStyle"|Wolverines receiving
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
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 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
Iowa statistics[49]
colspan="6" style="Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"|Hawkeyes passing
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
Spencer Petras 9–22 137 0 0
Alex Padilla 10–15 38 0 1
Gavin Williams 0–1 0 0 0
colspan="6" style="Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"|Hawkeyes rushing
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
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="Template:CollegePrimaryStyle"|Hawkeyes receiving
Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr
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

Template:Clear

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Game Notes: Michigan vs. Iowa, Big Ten Championship. Michigan Wolverines Football. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2021 Michigan Football Media Guide: Victors Valiant. Michigan Wolverines Football. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  3. ↑ 3 keys to a Michigan win vs. Iowa. USA Today(30 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  4. ↑ Michigan Earns Big Ten Football Championship Game Berth. Big Ten Conference. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  5. ↑ What’s at stake for Iowa football in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Daily Iowan(2 December 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  6. ↑ 2021 Iowa Football Media Guide. Iowa Hawkeyes Football. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  7. ↑ Big Ten 2004 Football Season Wrapup. Big Ten Conference(6 January 2005). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  8. ↑ 2021 Big Ten Football Media Guide. Big Ten Conference. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  9. ↑ 2021 Michigan Football Schedule. FBSchedules. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  10. ↑ Michigan dominates Western Michigan 47-14: Live updates recap. M Live(4 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Recap: Michigan stumps Washington at Big House, 31-10. The Detroit News(11 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  12. ↑ Montana Shocks No. 20 Washington in 13-7 Upset Win. Sports Illustrated(4 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  13. ↑ No. 25 Michigan hosts Northern Illinois, former Spartans QB. USA Today(16 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  14. ↑ Michigan football dominates Northern Illinois, 63-10. Detroit Free Press(18 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  15. ↑ Recap: Michigan avoids second-half collapse to take down Rutgers, 20-13. The Detroit News(25 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Michigan Football Surges To No. 14 In AP Poll. The Maize and Blue Review(26 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  17. ↑ Wisconsin suffers second-straight loss, beaten by No. 14 Michigan, 38-17. SB Nation(2 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Moody's late FG lifts No. 9 Michigan past Nebraska 32-29. CBS Sports(10 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  19. ↑ Michigan vs. Michigan State Football Prediction and Preview. Athlon Sports(29 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  20. ↑ Kenneth Walker III leads Spartans to rivalry win over Wolverines. Sporting News(31 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  21. ↑ No. 9 Michigan tops Indiana 29-7, bounces back from 1st loss. CBS Sports(7 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  22. ↑ McNamara, No. 9 Michigan rally past No. 23 Penn State 21-17. ESPN(13 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  23. ↑ Michigan trounces Maryland 59-18. M Live(20 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  24. ↑ No. 5 Michigan beats No. 2 Ohio State for the first time since 2011. National Collegiate Athletic Association(28 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  25. ↑ Haskins Powers Michigan Past No. 2 Ohio State, into Big Ten Championship Game. MGoBlue(November 27, 2021). Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  26. ↑ College Football Playoff Rankings: Michigan takes No. 2 spot, Cincinnati holds at No. 4 in new top 25. CBS Sports(30 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  27. ↑ Michigan Wolverines football team to wear jersey patch honoring Oxford High School shooting victims. ESPN(December 3, 2021). Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  28. ↑ 2021 Iowa Football Schedule. FBSchedules. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  29. ↑ No. 17 IU football falls 34-6 at No. 18 Iowa in season opener. Indiana Daily Student(4 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  30. ↑ No. 9 Iowa beats No. 10 Iowa St 27-17 to keep Cy-Hawk Trophy. CBS Sports(11 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  31. ↑ Iowa football moves into No. 5 spot in AP rankings. WQAD(September 13, 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  32. ↑ Around the Big Ten: Kent State at No. 5 Iowa Game Recap. Sports Illustrated(18 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  33. ↑ Recap: Iowa football holds on to beat Colorado State, 24-14. Hawk Central(25 September 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  34. ↑ No. 5 Iowa forces 7 turnovers in 51-14 rout of Maryland. CBS Sports(2 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  35. ↑ Iowa moves to No. 3 in AP Poll. The Gazette(October 3, 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  36. ↑ No. 3 Iowa rallies past No. 4 Penn State to remain undefeated | NCAA.com. National Collegiate Athletic Association(11 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  37. ↑ Iowa up to No. 2 in AP rankings. KCRG(October 10, 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  38. ↑ Recap: No. 2 Iowa football falls to Purdue at Kinnick Stadium for first loss of season. Hawk Central(16 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  39. ↑ Defense carries Wisconsin to 27-7 triumph over No. 9 Iowa. CBS Sports(30 October 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  40. ↑ Iowa debuts at No. 22 in College Football Playoff rankings. The Daily Iowan(November 2, 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  41. ↑ No. 19 Iowa changes quarterbacks, beats Northwestern 17-12. KGAN(8 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  42. ↑ No. 14 Iowa 27, Minnesota 22: Hawkeyes edge Golden Gophers to keep the Floyd of Rosedale. Hawk Central(November 13, 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  43. ↑ No. 17 Iowa Downs Illinois, 33-23, for 9th Win. University of Iowa Athletics(20 November 2021). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  44. ↑ Template:Cite press release
  45. ↑ No. 17 Iowa's Rally Deals Huskers Another Heartbreaking Loss. Associated Press(November 26, 2021). Retrieved November 26, 2021.
  46. ↑ How Gophers can still win the Big Ten West division, Greder, Andy. Twin Cities Pioneer Press(November 20, 2021). Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  47. ↑ Minnesota Chops Down No. 18 Wisconsin 23-13 To Take Back Axe. Associated Press(November 27, 2021). Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  48. ↑ Michigan vs. Iowa - Team Statistics - December 4, 2021 - ESPN. ESPN(4 December 2021). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 Michigan vs. Iowa - Box Score - December 4, 2021 - ESPN. ESPN(4 December 2021). Retrieved 26 July 2022.

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