Michigan blows out Iowa 42-3 to win Big Ten Championship, advance to College Football Playoff

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - The dream season of the Michigan Wolverines will continue after a massive win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship by a score of 42-3, punching their first ever ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Michigan won the Big Ten Championship thanks in large part to its defense which held Iowa out of the endzone and to just 3 points.

The Wolverines entered the game as the number 2 team in the CFP rankings and, after no. 1 Georgia lost to no. 3 Alabama in the SEC championship it's now just a question of who will be number 1 on Sunday.

Will the committee move Alabama over Michigan or do the Wolverines get the nod? We'll find out Sunday afternoon during the CFP selection. 

The win is Michigan's first Big Ten Championship since 2004 when they shared it with Iowa. The last time Michigan won the championship outright was in 2003. 

Beyond that, this is the first time Michigan has won vs. top 15 teams in back-to-back weeks since 2003 and is the third 12-win season in the history of the storied program (1905 and 1997). The last time Michigan did it, they went 12-0 and won the national title. They may have another chance in January.

Jim Harbaugh's redemption tour continues following an offseason where the fanbase called for his job following a disastrous 2-4 COVID shortened season. Instead, the athletics department restructured his contract and loaded it with incentives, two of which were winning the Big Ten Championship and advancing to the CFP. 

The game was set after Michigan toppled rival Ohio State a week ago and Iowa beat Wisconsin. In the week between those games, tragedy landed in the state of Michigan when four students were killed at Oxford High School. One of those was football standout Tate Myre who had dreams of playing football at the college level including at Michigan.

In an emotional moment, the family of Myre joined captains from both teams at midfield for the coin toss.For the opening coin toss, the family of Myre joined Michigan captains.

The game is airing on FOX 2 - here's how to watch it where you are.

Iowa won the coin toss and elected to defer, giving Michigan the ball to start the game.

Big Ten Championship first quarter recap

On the Wolverines first drive, Michigan struggled to go three-and-out before punting to Iowa. 

With the ball at their own 26, the Hawkeyes moved the ball down the field before stalling at the Michigan 15-yard-line thanks to some stout defense once Iowa got into the redzone. 

Iowa lined up for a 33-yard field goal but kicker Caleb Shudak pushed it right, giving Michigan the ball at the 20-yard line.

Michigan's second drive started with a false start, but the Wolverines would not be stopped as Blake Corum was given the pall on a run-pass-option from J.J. McCarthy. A couple of shifty moves from Corum and a block from McCarthy who caught up to the running back as he streamed down the sideline got the Wolverines on the board first, leading 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

The drive took less than two minutes. 

Michigan wasn't done. The Wolverines forced Iowa into a quick 3-and-out and Michigan pulled a trick play out.

With Donovan Edwards catching a backwards pass, he then lofted a perfect pass to Roman Wilson for 75 yards for another touchdown, putting Michigan up 14-0.

The two touchdown plays accounted for 142 yards. 

Iowa answered with a 71-yard drive but Michigan's defense forced a hold at the 4-yard-line as Shudak kicked a short field goal to get on the board.

Michigan has not given up a first quarter touchdown since week one against Western Michigan. 

On Michigan's ensuing drive, they moved the ball well and were on the other side of the 50. Cade McNamara had plenty of time in the pocket but through a ball behind his tight end that deflected into Iowa's Jack Campbell. 

Iowa ran two plays to end the first quarter with the Wolverines up 14-3.

Big Ten Championship second quarter recap

The second quarter started with an exchange of personal fouls. First from Michigan's Taylor Upshaw for unsportsmanlike conduct. With the ball at the 50, Iowa's Mason Richman was called for his own personal foul, this one for tripping.

Facing a 2nd and 23, Iowa played conservative, running on the next two plays before punting and pinning Michigan inside the 10-yard-line.

This time it was Michigan's turn to go three-and-out as they punted back to Iowa but the Hawkeyes couldn't get anything moving either and punted it back.

Once again, Michigan went 3-and-out from inside their 5-yard-line and kicked back to Iowa. 

At midfield, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras scrambled for a run, but it was called back for holding. However, the game was stopped for a targeting review, but defensive back Rod Moore was cleared of targeting.

Facing a 4th-and-4, Iowa punted right back to Michigan, playing the field position game as Michigan was once again pinned inside the 10-yard-line.

Finally, on the third drive in a row inside their 10-yard-line, Michigan was able to get out of the shadow of the goalposts. The drive appeared to stall at the 20 as Michigan faced a 3rd-and-12 but McNamara ran a draw play for 15 yards. Followed by a 13-yard tpass to Hassan Haskins and suddenly Michigan was at midfield.

However, McNamara was sacked on 3rd-and-7, forcing a punt from Michigan. But the drive did enough to end the field position stalemate.

Michigan's defense up on this drive as likely first round pick Aidan Hutchinson sacked Petras for a loss of 10, setting up a 3rd-and-20. 

Michigan used its final two timeouts to leave 1:05 on the clock in an attempt to put some more points on the board before half.

With the ball at their own 33 and no timeouts, Michigan tried to move the ball forward but Iowa's defense held up, forcing Michigan to attempt a Hail Mary from J.J. McCarthy but was intercepted at the goalline.

That sent the game to half with Michigan leading 14-7. Michigan has won its last 40 games when leading by 10 points or more. 

Big Ten Championship third quarter recap

After winning the coin toss, Iowa received the ball for the second half and drove to their 45 yard line before being forced to punt again. Michigan fielded the ball inside the 10 but were able to get it out to the 20 yard line to start the first drive of the third quarter.

On the ensuing drive, Michigan worked to establish the running game with Haskins and Corum carrying the ball as the Wolverines attempted to grind out the game.

But it was a 27-yard pass from McNamara to Luke Schoonmaker that put Michigan inside the Iowa five yard line. On the next play, Haskins punched it in from the four.

The 10-play, 82-yard drive put Michigan up 21-3.

With nothing working on offense, Iowa changed quarterbacks putting Alex Padilla under center. It didn't help even though Padilla appeared to get some momentum going, driving into Michigan territory for the fourth time.

With the ball inside the ten, at 3rd-and-4, Michigan shut down the Iowa drive again, stopping Iowa on 4th and 3 to keep Iowa out of the endzone again.

Michigan ran two plays before the end of the third quarter with the Wolverines leading 21-3.

Big Ten Championship fourth quarter recap

Michigan went three-and-out and punted back to Iowa as the defensive battle continued - at least for now. The Michigan offense was about to explode in the final 15 minutes.

After a quick three-and-out thanks to Michigan's defense, the Wolverines blocked a punt, putting Michigan in prime location for another score - thanks to a 22-yard one-handed catch by Schoonmaker, followed by a one-yard touchdown dive from Haskins.

It was Haskins' 20th touchdown of the year - a record for the winningest college football program in the NCAA.

Michigan was up 28-3 at this stage, and it really is just a matter of whether they're 1st of 2nd in the CFP rankings released on Sunday.

Iowa went a quick 3-and-out and Michigan got the back with a little more than 9 minutes to go.

The Michigan offense forced its will onto Iowa for the next drive, driving 80 yards in four minutes punctuated by a one-handed touchdown catch by Erick All. 

At this point, Michigan was just pouring it on, leading 35-3.

One the next Iowa drive, Michigan's Caden Kolesar picked off Padilla and the Wolverine offense returned to the field to add more points thanks in part to a pass interference penalty in the endzone. Edwards punched it in from 1 with 1:25 to go, giving Michigan a 42-3 win.

On the last drive of the game, Harbaugh got the double Gatorade shower, which he took without much of a reaction. Iowa's offense ended the game on the field with a run play as Michigan clinched the win.

The last question at this stage…who gets the number 1 seed in the CFP?