No. 2 Michigan clinched its second consecutive Big Ten championship and a top-two spot in the College Football Playoff with a 43-22 victory over Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Boilermakers and their dynamic offense ran nearly twice as ma ny plays as the Wolverines, but Michigan made critical stops to come away with their second conference title under coach Jim Harbaugh.
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy couldn't quite match his productivity from the team's regular-season finale over Ohio State, but he threw three touchdowns in just 17 pass attempts as the Wolverines outscored Purdue 29-9 in the second half to continue their impressive run of closing efforts. Running back Donovan Edwards added 185 yards and a touchdown in the win.
Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell played a strong game, but two backbreaking interceptions cost the Boilermakers during a key second-half run. The first came in the third quarter when O'Connell killed a drive in the red zone with an interception to Michigan's Will Johnson. Three drives later, with Purdue down just nine points, O'Connell threw another pick within his own 20-yard line to set up an easy touchdown toss from McCarthy to receiver Ronnie Bell to push Michigan's lead out to three scores.
Michigan is one of the last two undefeated programs standing along with Georgia. The Bulldogs and Wolverines should easily slot in at No. 1 and 2, respectively, after becoming the only top-five teams to win conference championships. Now, all eyes switch to the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine as the College Football playoff committee decides Michigan's eventual destination.
This Big Ten Championship Game was no coronation like Iowa's 42-3 baptism against the Wolverines in 2021. Instead, Purdue played almost the perfect football game to beat Michigan but whiffed on some big chances in key spots.
Purdue put together six drives of at least eight plays, an impressive achievement against Michigan's physical defense. However, only one of the Boilermaker's drives ended in a touchdown: the second drive of the game. Purdue settled for five field goals, including three of 35 yards or fewer. Michigan responded by scoring on all four trips to the red zone. The gap effectively decided the game.
Michigan running back Donovan Edwards missed part of the season with injuries and played second-fiddle to Blake Corum. But in two games with Corum out of the lineup, Edwards has proved definitively that he can be a workhorse running back for one of the best teams in the nation.
Over the last two games against Ohio State and Purdue, Edwards has run for 401 yards and three touchdowns on just 47 carries while breaking off runs of 85 and 60 yards to swing games and lay knockout blows. Edwards has emerged as a legitimate weapon for Michigan's offense and ensured the Wolverines that losing Corum isn't a devastating blow.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy put together an incredible performance against Ohio State. While his numbers weren't quite as lofty in the Big Ten title win, McCarthy's performance was critical in keeping Purdue on its toes during a competitive first half.
McCarthy completed 11 of his 17 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He found Ronnie Bell five times for 67 yards and once again extended plays with his feet. Michigan has run the ball at a high level for two years, but McCarthy's playmaking ability is the wild-card factor that the Wolverines have been waiting for as they await a potential national championship showdown against Georgia.
Purdue wide receiver Charlie Jones was a little-used bit player at Iowa, but the Big Ten title game should be on repeat for NFL scouts. Jones was unbelievable, catching 13 passes for 165 yards and tripling his nearest teammate in receiving. Every time Purdue needed a big play, Jones managed to complete acrobatic catches around aggressive Michigan defensive backs. Jones will finish with nearly 1,400 yards receiving in a sensational senior season. Not many receivers nationally can boast 100-yard receiving games against Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State.
Michigan ran nothing but run plays down the stretch, but backup running back Kalel Mullings couldn't help but get into the end zone to close things out. Mullings and Donovan Edwards combined for all 44 yards to march down the field for yet another touchdown to shut the door on Purdue.
Purdue had a chance to cut the lead to one score early in the fourth quarter, but Michigan's defense stepped up in a big spot. Aidan O'Connell threw an interception inside his own 20-yard line to all but set up a scoring opportunity for Michigan. J.J. McCarthy threw a dagger on third down to Ronnie Bell for a touchdown that should clinch the Big Ten Championship.
Purdue drove deep into Michigan territory with some big plays in the passing game. It settled for a field goal. Yep, it happened again. The Boilermakers trail 28-19 with 12:37 left.
He buys a bunch of time and rolls out of the pocket but then makes the terrible decision. He tries to force something that isn't there and throws a deep ball directly into triple coverage and it's picked off by Jamari Brown. Purdue ball at the PU 24.
It's been the theme of the night. Purdue drives into Michigan territory, but it settles for a field goal instead of getting six. You're not going to pull off the upset doing that, and that's why the Boilermakers trail 28-16 despite averaging 5.5 yards per play.
The defense comes through for the offense when the Boilermakers need it most. Purdue gets the ball back at the PU 41 following a 49-yard punt.
Purdue runs the first fake flea flicker I've ever seen, as Mockobee fakes a pitch back to Aidan O'Connell before taking off for a big gain. Unfortunately, the next play sees O'Connell underthrow a pass to the end zone and it's picked off by Will Johnson. The good news is the Boilermakers have the Wolverines pinned at the 1. The bad news is they no longer have the ball, blew another scoring opportunity, and are down 15.
