Big Ten Championship 2021: Michigan vs. Iowa Breakdown, Predictions

The Big Ten Championship Game features the Michigan Wolverines for the first time. 

Michigan has lived in the shadow of the Ohio State Buckeyes throughout the Jim Harbaugh era, but it finally got over the hump in Saturday's rivalry game. 

The Wolverines are in great position to win the Big Ten and qualify for the College Football Playoff, but they still need one victory. 

They are matched up with the Iowa Hawkeyes for the title clash in Indianapolis. Iowa is making its second Big Ten Championship Game appearance and first since 2015, when it lost to the Michigan State Spartans. 

The Hawkeyes were near the top of the FBS rankings at one point this season, but they have lingered in the middle of the Top 25 since back-to-back losses to the Purdue Boilermakers and Wisconsin Badgers. 

Iowa is 10-2 with three wins over Top 25 teams, but it has not gone through the rigors of the Big Ten East to reach Indianapolis. 

The Hawkeyes need to play a perfect game to come away with the Big Ten West's first conference championship. 

Michigan manhandled Ohio State on the interior for four quarters. 

The Wolverines ran for 297 yards in the 42-27 win, as Hassan Haskins led the ground attack with five touchdowns. 

Michigan's offense carries all the momentum into Indianapolis. Haskins and Blake Corum form a solid one-two punch that could wreak havoc on the Iowa defense. 

The Hawkeyes have a Top 20 rushing defense that allows 105.8 rushing yards per game, but they have not faced a team with a ground strategy like Michigan's for most of the season.

Iowa has the disadvantage of playing in the Big Ten West alongside some of the most inconsistent teams in the conference.

Michigan had to navigate through three tough matchups against Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State. Haskins reached the 100-yard mark in two of those games. 

The Wolverines' offensive line should open up more holes for Haskins against Iowa. And if the Hawkeyes can't stop the ground game, they could be in serious trouble.

Iowa struggled to put points on the board in its two losses to Purdue and Wisconsin. Any critics of the Hawkeyes will point to those two games as to why they could struggle to battle Michigan's defense. 

The Wolverines boast a potential Heisman Trophy contender in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who has 12 sacks, and David Ojabo can come off the other edge and put the Iowa quarterbacks under pressure. He has 11 sacks.

Iowa called on Spencer Petras in a relief role to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Friday. Alex Padilla started the team's final regular-season game. 

The Hawkeyes quarterbacks suffered 30 sacks over 12 regular-season games. If the offensive line does not hold up against Hutchinson and Ojabo, Iowa could be in for a long offensive day. 

Petras was intercepted four times by Wisconsin, and he mustered 97 passing yards against Purdue. Those numbers will not cut it against Michigan. 

Running back Tyler Goodson could be Iowa's top offensive threat on Saturday. He produced three 100-yard games in the final month of the regular season.

However, the 21-year-old was silenced by both the Purdue and Wisconsin defenses as well. He totaled 95 yards in those defeats. 

If Iowa can't get anything going because of the pass rush, Michigan could have an easy four quarters inside Lucas Oil Stadium. 

Michigan 27, Iowa 10

Michigan has a significant advantage on offense. 

The Wolverines have found a combination that works with Corum and Haskins on the ground. That unit overwhelmed some of the top teams in the Big Ten.

Iowa enters Indianapolis with a bunch of questions about its offensive approach, including which player will start at quarterback. 

The Hawkeyes' struggles against Purdue and Wisconsin should serve as an indicator for how they will perform on Saturday. 

An upset is never completely out of the question, especially in this crazy college football season, but it seems very unlikely considering the gap between the two offenses.