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Iowa had nothing against the Michigan defense in the Big Ten championship game. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Funnily enough, everyone could have told you what was coming from No. 2 Michigan and No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten title game.
The Wolverines participated in the Big Ten tradition of overwhelming the Iowa offense in a 26-0 win on Saturday, likely punching their ticket to a third straight College Football Playoff appearance. This year’s most controversial college football team will learn their next game when the committee announces the field on Sunday.
The game saw the return of Jim Harbaugh from the Big Ten’s three-game suspension for Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal, and he ended it by celebrating a third straight conference title.
Iowa finished the game with 155 total yards and three turnovers, a low point in a season that has already seen offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz be told he won’t return in 2024. The Hawkeyes struggling against the Michigan defense was predictable, the bigger question was if the Wolverines would break through an Iowa defense and special teams that carried the team to a 10-2 record.
It turned out special teams was the bigger opening, to the pain of head coach Kirk Ferentz. Michigan’s biggest break of the first half came at the end of Iowa’s second drive, when Semaj Morgan returned All-American Tory Taylor’s punt 87 yards to the 5-yard line, a Big Ten championship record.
Two short Blake Corum runs later, Michigan had a 10-0 lead.
The rest of the first half was classic three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust: punt, punt, punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt, punt, punt, end of half. Michigan outgained Iowa 111-61 and entered halftime in full control, even with only a 10-point lead.
That lead increased in controversial fashion early in the third quarter, when Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-2-michigan-shuts-out-no-16-iowa-to-punch-3rd-straight-playoff-ticket-043505100.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2023-12-03 04:35:05
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