Michigan, No. 2, secured its second straight Big Ten championship and a top 2 spot in the college football playoffs with a 43-22 win over Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Boilermakers and their dynamic offense completed almost twice as many plays as the Wolverines, but Michigan made crucial stops to win their second conference title under coach Jim Harbaugh.
Quarterback JJ McCarthy couldn’t quite match his productivity from the team’s regular-season finals against Ohio State, but he threw three touchdowns in just 17 pass attempts as the Wolverines surpassed Purdue 29-9 in the second half to continue their impressive closing streak efforts. Running back Donovan Edwards added 185 yards and a touchdown to the win.
Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell played a strong game, but two game-changing interceptions cost the Boilermakers during an important second-half run. The first came in the third quarter when O’Connell killed a red-zone drive with an interception on Michigan’s Will Johnson. Three drives later, just nine points behind Purdue, O’Connell threw another pick inside his own 20-yard line to set up an easy McCarthy touchdown throw to receiver Ronnie Bell and extend Michigan’s lead to three points.
Michigan is one of the last two undefeated programs alongside Georgia. The Bulldogs and Wolverines should easily place 1st and 2nd, respectively, after becoming the only top-five teams to win conference championships. Now all eyes are on the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine as the College Football Playoff Committee decides Michigan’s final destination.