2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game

2023 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 1 Michigan xy$#^ 90  150 
No. 10 Ohio State 81  112 
No. 13 Penn State 72  103 
Maryland 45  85 
Rutgers 36  76 
Indiana 18  39 
Michigan State 07  08 
West Division
No. 24 Iowa xy 72  104 
Northwestern 54  85 
Wisconsin 54  76 
Minnesota 36  67 
Illinois 36  57 
Nebraska 36  57 
Purdue 36  48 
Championship: Michigan 26, Iowa 0
  • # College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • † — NCAA vacated all wins for Michigan State (4–8, 2–7)[1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game was a college football game played on December 2, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 13th edition of the Big Ten Football Championship Game and determined the champion of the conference for the 2023 season. The game began at 8:17 p.m. EST and aired on Fox, featuring the West Division champion Iowa Hawkeyes and the East Division champion Michigan Wolverines. Michigan won 260 to secure their third consecutive outright Big Ten title.[2] Head coach Jim Harbaugh became the first Big Ten coach to achieve that feat. The division era ended with the East Division going 100 in title games since the East-West format change in 2014.

Teams

The 2023 Big Ten Championship Game featured the Iowa Hawkeyes, champions of the West Division, and the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the East Division. This was the third Big Ten title game appearance for both programs, The Hawkeyes were 0–2 in previous appearances, having most recently lost to Michigan in 2021. The Wolverines were 2–0 in previous appearances, having also defeated Purdue in 2022.

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan entered the game at 12–0 (9–0 BIG) and was designated as the visiting team. Heading into the final week of the regular season, Michigan and Ohio State both had undefeated conference records at 8–0 going into the 2023 edition of The Game in Ann Arbor, thus making the game a de facto East division championship. The Wolverines won the game 30–24, and clinched the division title for the third consecutive season.[3] A win would mean a third consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff the Wolverines.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa entered the game at 10–2 (7–2 BIG) and was designated as the home team. The Hawkeyes clinched a spot in the game following their 15–13 win over Illinois on November 18.[4] They have not won the Big Ten since 2004 or outright since 1985. Iowa also hasn't defeated Michigan since 2016, going 0–3 since a 14–13 walk-off over the No. 2 Wolverines at Kinnick Stadium. They entered the game a 22.5-point underdog.

Game summary

2023 Big 10 Championship GameNo. 2 Michigan Wolverines (12–0, 9–0) vs. No. 16 Iowa Hawkeyes (10–2, 7–2)
Quarter1234Total
No. 2 Michigan10010626
No. 16 Iowa00000

at Lucas Oil StadiumIndianapolis, IN

  • Date: Saturday, December 2, 2023
  • Game time: 8:17 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Indoors
  • Game attendance: 67,842
  • Referee: Jeff Servinski
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (6:01) MICH - James Turner 35-yard field goal – 13 plays, 52 yards, 7:35 (Michigan 3–0)
  • (1:07) MICH - Blake Corum 2-yard run (James Turner Kick) – 2 plays, 5 yards, 0:39 (Michigan 10–0)
Third quarter
  • (9:09) MICH - Blake Corum 6-yard run (James Turner Kick) – 1 play, 6 yards, 0:05 (Michigan 17–0)
  • (0:22) MICH - James Turner 46-yard field goal – 9 plays, 28 yards, 4:46 (Michigan 20–0)
Fourth quarter
  • (9:14) MICH - James Turner 36-yard field goal – 4 plays, –3 yards, 1:43 (Michigan 23–0)
  • (3:38) MICH - James Turner 50-yard field goal – 6 plays, 23 yards, 3:46 (Michigan 26–0)
StatisticsMICHIOWA
First downs137
Plays–yards64–21356–155
Rushes–yards6635
Passing yards147120
Passing: compattint22–30–018–32–0
Time of possession36:3223:28
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
MichiganPassingJ. J. McCarthy22/30, 147 yards
RushingBlake Corum16 carries, 52 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingCornelius Johnson9 receptions, 64 yards
IowaPassingDeacon Hill18/32, 120 yards
RushingLeshon Williams9 carries, 25 yards
ReceivingAddison Ostrenga7 receptions, 50 yards

See also

References