Michigan football defeats Iowa 42-3 to win the Big Ten championship: Game thread recap
No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 12 Iowa (10-2, 7-2)
When: 8 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
TV: Fox.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1), WWJ-AM (950), WTKA-AM (1050). Other radio affiliates.
Line: Wolverines by 11½.
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Game notes: One program will win its first Big Ten title game Saturday. Granted, both the Hawkeyes (four) and Wolverines (16) have outright conference titles that predate the division era. U-M has never appeared in a Big Ten championship game and Iowa was the Big Ten West representative in 2015, losing 16-13, to Michigan State.
Michigan got here after a fantastic season, marred only by a loss to rival Michigan State — a game the Wolverines led for most of the day. But key wins vs. Penn State, Maryland and, chief among them, Ohio State, catapulted coach Jim Harbaugh and Michigan to the doorstep of the College Football Playoff. Look for Michigan to lean on its run game and Hassan Haskins, who has 1,232 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground — both top-20 in the nation. But if the Wolverines need to pass, Cade McNamara (2,301 yards, 14 touchdowns, three interceptions) has shown he's capable of hitting big plays.
[ How Hassan Haskins went from St. Louis neighborhood phenom to Michigan star ]
While the Hawkeyes have questions at quarterback, their running game and defense are strong. Iowa gives up 17.3 points per game and 315.8 yards per game, both among the top 15 in the nation. Their 105.8 rushing yards allowed is second-lowest of any team Michigan has faced this season, behind only Wisconsin. Iowa's offense is led by Tyler Goodson, who has 1,101 rushing yards on a 4.6 yard-per-carry average. The Hawkeyes recovered from a two-game losing streak in October and have won each of their past four by 10 points or fewer.
MORE: Former Michigan kicker, Oxford High School alum, to watch Big Ten title with 'heavy heart'
MORE ON THE GAME: Don't count on Michigan's edge in talent to guarantee a Big Ten championship win
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: U-M defeats Iowa 42-3 to win the Big Ten title: Game thread recap
