Iowa-Michigan Big Ten football championship game: What to know

Both teams playing for first league championship since they tied for the title in 2004

Nov. 27, 2021 6:33 pm, Updated: Nov. 28, 2021 12:09 am

Coaches Kirk Ferentz of Iowa (left) and Jim Harbaugh of Michigan after the Wolverines’ 10-3 win over the Hawkeyes at Ann Arbor, Mich., on Oct. 5, 2019 (Tony Ding/Associated Press)

What: No. 16 Iowa (10-2) vs. No. 5 Michigan (11-1) in the Big Ten football championship game

When/Where: 7 p.m., Sat. Dec. 4. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

TV: FOX (Gus Johnson/Joel Klatt)

How they got here: Iowa finished alone in first place in the West Division at 7-2 thanks to Wisconsin’s 23-13 loss at Minnesota Saturday. Michigan defeated Ohio State 42-27 Saturday to tie the Buckeyes for first in the East at 8-1 and claim the tiebreaker.

Series: Michigan leads, 42-15-4

Last meeting: Michigan won 10-3 in Ann Arbor in 2019

Previous results in the Big Ten title game: Iowa lost 16-13 to Michigan State in its lone appearance, in 2015. It is Michigan’s first appearance..

What’s at stake: A win would give both teams their first Big Ten championship since they tied for first place in 2004. It would be Iowa’s first outright league title since 1985. It would give them a spot in the Rose Bowl against the best-available Pacific-12 Conference team.

A win would almost certainly secure Michigan a berth in the College Football Playoff, and would mark the Wolverines’ first outright Big Ten crown since 2003.