Campus Clash– Big Ten Championship
(2) Michigan Wolverines at (15) Iowa Hawkeyes
Michigan: They finally did it! Try after try, they were able to finally get over the hump and defeat their arch-rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Jim Harbaugh got the weight of the world off his back and finally got that one win over the rival that he so desperately coveted. Their identity this year was what? Ground and pound. Saturday showed me that the consistency of a running game is not lost in the game of football. It’s such a pass-happy, quarterback-driven game which I agree with. But if you want to win big games, running the ball is still key and they did that on Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes. What impressed me most about their game plan was how they stuck to the game plan. Nowadays, coaches get away from what gets them the lead, and unfortunately, that’s what gets them into trouble. Give them credit because they violently dominated the line of scrimmage and never let up. For the first time in Jim’s tenure as head coach, the Michigan Wolverines are Big Ten East division champions. Those are words I didn’t think I’d ever see myself saying because Ohio State has been so dominant in the division. On Saturday night, they will look to win the Big Ten conference title in Indianapolis.
Iowa: I remember them getting off to such a strong start. A win on the road in Ames against the Iowa State Cyclones had me slowly gravitating to them. Then, they had to come back and grind out a victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. At one point, they were 6-0 and looked to be in complete control of the Big Ten West. Some were even saying they were a strong possibility to be a playoff team. They would end up dropping the ball against Purdue and Wisconsin. However, Kirk Ferentz and his Hawkeyes were able to end the season on a four-game winning streak. Iowa has claimed the Big Ten West for the first time in six seasons. This is a physical group Kirk has in Des Moines. They play that downhill style of football meaning they don’t use tempo often. It’s a power running style of football which means controlling the clock and so forth. Their quarterback play doesn’t do much for me. You never know which Spencer Petras is going to show up. Defensively, they’ve been one of the best in the country. They have thrived off the takeaway which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. If all you depend on is forcing turnovers as a defense, you won’t survive much. For the first time since 2015,
Iowa will play in the conference title game this Saturday night.
Michigan X-Factor: David Ojabo– This is the other half of the pass-rushing tandem with Aidan Hutchinson. You worry about one guy on one side, someone else will get their shine because he’s on an island. David is 6’5, 250 pounds, and uses every bit of his height and weight to his full advantage. He’s the perfect blend of power, strength, athleticism, and speed all in one, and coaches and scouts love that in a football player. When you watch him, he has a plethora of moves to get to the quarterback. He can spin and he’s in the backfield, he bullrushes off the edge and does what he can to get to the passer. People are noticing him more.
Iowa X-Factor: Tyler Goodson– He is Iowa’s best offensive weapon. When I watch him, he reminds me a lot of DeMarco Murray, the former star Oklahoma Sooner and Dallas Cowboys running back. Tyler takes hand-offs out the backfield and if you’re caught slipping defensively, he will make you pay as a pass-catcher out the backfield. I notice how smooth of a runner Tyler is with the ball in his hands. He looks like he’s gliding every time he’s moving up the field. Michigan will be all in on him on Saturday night.
Final Thoughts: It’s something different! For the first time, someone else not named Ohio State will be playing for the conference title! Both these teams are similar in a way because they both pride themselves on running the football. Look for this game to be a war because both teams also play defense. As I asked up top, which version of Petras are we going to get? He’s so hit or miss. I don’t need McNamara to go all out and take the game over with his arm, especially if Michigan gets “Thunder and Lightning” (Corum and Haskins) going. This is going to be a physical battle and it will be won in the trenches.
Prediction: Michigan 23, Iowa 13
