The Daily Iowan Pregame - 12.03.2021

PREGAME The Daily Iowan

Saturday, December 4 Iowa vs. Michigan Lucas Oil Stadium

ONE B1G DREAM The underdog Hawkeyes play the second-ranked Wolverines in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday.

2 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

Iowa Starters

MARQUEE MATCHUP

WR TE LT LG C RG RT WR QB RB FB PK

6 84 79 64 65 77 56 89 7 15 38 10

Keagan Johnson Sam LaPorta Jack Plumb Kyler Schott Tyler Linderbaum Connor Colby Nick DeJong Nico Ragaini Spencer Petras Tyler Goodson Monte Pottebaum Caleb Shudak

6-1 6-4 6-7 6-2 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-0 6-5 5-10 6-1 5-8

197 249 296 294 290 298 292 191 233 199 246 178

FR. JR. JR. SR. JR. FR. SO. JR. JR. JR. JR. SR.

LE DT DT RE CASH MLB WLB LC SS FS RC P

92 99 85 97 4 31 44 27 26 28 33 9

John Waggoner Noah Shannon Logan Lee

6-5 6-0 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-4

266 289 277 267 205 243 229 185 211 204 194 231

JR. JR. SO. SR. JR. JR. JR. SO. JR. SR. SR. SO.

Zach VanValkenburg

Dane Belton Jack Campbell Seth Benson Jermari Harris

Kaevon Merriweather

Jack Koerner Riley Moss Tory Taylor

Michigan Starters

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan Iowa linebacker Jestin Jacobs makes a tackle during a football game between Iowa and Kent State at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 18. The Hawkeyes are going up against a Wolverines team in the conference championship game that presents the best rushing offense in the Big Ten.

STAFF

Hassan Haskins seemed to be running in the open field a lot last Saturday when the Michigan tailback and his teammates dismantled rival Ohio State Buckeyes, 42-27.

Haskins, a senior from Saint Louis, Missouri, totaled 169 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in Ann Arbor last weekend — something the Hawkeyes cannot let happen. Six of Haskins’ 28 carries went for more than 10 yards and Iowa’s defense knows if the Hawkeyes have any chance to win the title on Saturday in Indianapolis, they must limit the run game before Haskins gets going. Michigan’s rushing game has produced 35 of the Wolverines’ 53 touchdowns and Haskins has contributed 18 of those scores. He is the Big Ten’s second-leading rusher with 1,232 rushing yards. Iowa linebacker Jestin

Jacobs said the Hawkeyes have to be ready for a battle against the Wolverines. “There’s just a big physical team up front,” Jacobs told reporters Tuesday. “They get after the defense, they have good fundamentals, gain leverage and whatnot. They’re just a tough team. They know what they want to do. And if they want to run, they’re just gonna line up and just run right at you.” Michigan’s starting offensive line only consists of one underclassmnn and all five of this season’s starters were either starters or second-team players last season. Across the five starting offensive linemen, the Wolverines average player stands nearly 6-foot-6 and weighs in at approximately 317 pounds. Read The Daily Iowan’s full scouting report at dailyiowan.com - Chris Werner, Sports Reporter.

Publisher Jason Brummond

Managing Editors Rylee Wilson, Josie Fischels

Business Manager Debbie Plath

Executive Editor Caleb McCullough

Managing Digital Editor Kelsey Harrell

Advertising Director Juli Krause

Pregame Editor Robert Read

Photo Editors Jerod Ringwald, Grace Smith

Production Manager Heidi Owen

Football Reporters Austin Hanson, Chloe Peterson, Chris Werner

DITV Sports Director Destinee Cook

Front design by Robert Read Front photo by Jerod Ringwald

Questions or comments for the Pregame staff? E-mail Pregame Editor Robert Read at robert-read@uiowa.edu.

QB ­ RB WR WR WR TE LT LG C RG RT PK

12 25 14 14 5 86 76 77 68 65 71 13

Cade McNamara Hassan Haskins Roman Wilson Casey Washington Mike Sainristil Luke Schoonmaker Ryan Hayes Trevor Keegan Andrew Vastardis Zak Zinter Andrew Stueber Jake Moody

6-1 6-1 6-0 6-2 5-10 6-5 6-7 6-6 6-3 6-6 6-7 6-1

212 220 180 190 185 250 307 324 294 320 338 211

JR. SR. SO. SO. JR. SR. SR. JR. SR. SO. SR. SR.

DE DT NT OLB MLB WLB CB SS FS CB DB P

97 58 15 55 12 25 5 2 30 19 30 91

Aidan Hutchinson Mazi Smith Christopher Hinton David Ojabo Josh Ross Junior Colson DJ Turner Brad Hawkins Sydney Brown Rod Moore Daxton Hill Brad Robbins

6-6 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1

265 326 310 250 224 225 181 221 200 173 192 203

SR. JR. JR. JR. SR. FR. JR. SR. JR. FR. JR. SR.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 3

File Photo/The Daily Iowan Lucas Oil Stadium is seen ahead of Iowa’s Big Ten Championship Game apperance in 2015. The Hawkeyes are making their second-ever appearance in the conference title game on Saturday.

Iowa’s chance for Big Ten glory The Hawkeyes are one win away from the program’s first Big Ten title since 2004 and first outright conference championship since 1985.

Robert Read Pregame Editor

Linebacker Jack Campbell approached his locker in the days following the Iowa football team’s 27-7 loss to Wiconsin in October. The team captain noticed a piece of paper waiting for him next to his pads. Every other Io-

wa player found one, too. A single sentence stood out on the sheet. It was a quote head coach Kirk Ferentz wanted the Hawkeyes to soak in.

“If you learn to use it right, the adversity, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way,” the note read.

Ferentz was quoting what Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett said to his team after the Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 2018. The 23rd-year Hawkeye head coach figured his team need-

ed a similar message eight games into the 2021 campaign. It stuck.

After starting the season 6-0 and reaching No. 2 in the country in the Associated Press Poll, Iowa lost back-toback games by double-digits to Purdue and Wisconsin.

The Hawkeyes no longer

controlled their own destiny to win the Big Ten West.

It turns out, that didn’t stop them from winning the division, anyway. Iowa, even through losses, quarterback changes, and a 15-point deficit in a must-win season-finale, made a habit of working its way through roadblocks.

The Hawkeyes, apparently, learned to use that adversity. And they used it to buy themselves a ticket to the Big Ten Championship Game.

“We were 6-0 and had everything going in the right direction,” Campbell BIG TEN | Page 4

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BIG TEN

Continued from Page 3 said. “And then we just got punched in the mouth. Taking that adversity and using it the right way, it brought something more out of this team. I’m excited to see us continue to do that. Finding ways to win, that’s the name of the game right now.”

No. 13 Iowa (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten) faces No. 2 Michigan (11-1, 8-1) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday.

After losing back-to-back games, the Hawkeyes won their final four contests of the regular season, all by 10 points or fewer, to clinch a share of the West. When Minnesota upset Wisconsin a day after Iowa scored the final 22 points of its 28-21 comeback win over Nebraska, Ferentz’s team became the outright Big Ten West Champions and advanced to the program’s second Big Ten Championship Game and first since 2015.

A win on Saturday would mark Iowa’s first Big Ten title of any kind since 2004 and the program’s first outright conference championship since 1985. Defeating the Wolverines would also almost certainly send the Hawkeyes to the Rose Bowl.

But there is still plenty of adversity in front of the dark horse Hawkeyes.

“It seems like every time we go to a bowl game or a game like this, we’re underdogs,” Ferentz said. “We’re a little bit used to that.”

Iowa opened as 10.5-point underdogs to Michigan ahead of the conference title game.

The Wolverines are fresh off a 42-27 win over Ohio State last weekend, which clinched

Jim Harbaugh’s program its first Big Ten East title. Michigan’s only loss this season came when it surrendered a 16-point lead to No. 12 Michigan State.

Ferentz described Michigan as a well-rounded team, and said Harbaugh’s group belongs at No. 2 — or maybe even No. 1 — in the nation.

The Wolverines own the No. 2 scoring offense in the Big Ten, paired with the No. 3 scoring defense. Michigan leads the conference in rushing offense and sacks defensively. As far as special teams, Jake Moody was named Big Ten Kicker of the Year for the Wolverines on Tuesday. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and reigning national defensive player of the week for his 15 QB pressures against the Buckeyes. Running back Hassan Haskins earned national offensive player of the week recognition for his five-touchdown performance in the same game.

As far as Iowa? ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Hawkeyes only a 23.5 percent chance to win against Michigan.

“I don’t think a lot of people have us winning this next game,” Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum said. “I think a lot of people don’t even think we should show up. That’s a little chip on our shoulder. We know a lot of people are doubting us.

It’s time to prove what Iowa football is and how we play the game and how physical we are going to be.”

In a way, neither of these teams were expected to be playing this weekend.

Going into the final week of the regular season, a Wisconsin-Ohio State matchup

Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan Iowa defensive back Riley Moss and linebacker Seth Benson force Nebraska wide receiver Samori Toure out of bounds during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Nov. 26. in the conference title game appeared more likely than the one fans will see on Saturday.

Wisconsin, as a result of its head-to-head victory over Iowa, held a tiebreaker over the Hawkeyes and only needed to beat Minnesota to advance to Indianapolis. Instead, the Gophers beat the Badgers, who were on a seven-game winning streak, for the second time in 18 years.

Iowa players watched the game intently, although in a variety of situations.

Campbell studied the game on his phone while on a hunting trip. Defensive backs Riley Moss and Jack Koerner and their families met to watch the game and tweeted out their emotions throughout the contest. Ferentz occasionally glanced at the rivalry matchup while cele-

brating a belated Thanksgiving with his family. And by the end of the fourth quarter, all of them knew they’d be back in the football facility the next day to prepare for the Wolverines.

Michigan upset then-No. 2 Ohio State earlier that day for the first time since 2011, completing the program’s turnaround from a 2-4 2020 season. So, instead of Buckeyes-Badgers, the Hawkeyes and the Wolverines are playing for the Big Ten title. And both teams are fighting for their first conference championship since tying for the Big Ten title in 2004.

“I don’t think anyone on our team ever doubted what we could do or where we could go,” quarterback Spencer Petras said. “It’s never fun losing a game. But we all realized

that opportunities are still out there. It’s moreso people outside of this building that are big on counting a team out before it’s time to count them out. We never wavered in our confidence.”

Even if Iowa’s confidence in itself was never lacking, it might have been close at points.

As Campbell said, Iowa won through a variety of different scenarios this season.

The Hawkeyes came back to win from three double-digit deficits over their 12-game schedule. A Nico Ragaini touchdown propelled Iowa past Penn State in a thentop-five matchup that the Hawkeyes at one point trailed 17-3. Charlie Jones’ 100-yard kickoff return sparked Iowa when it trailed Illinois, 10-0. And Henry Marchese’s

blocked punt was the start of Iowa’s second-half comeback over Nebraska that earned Iowa the Heroes Trophy and a Big Ten West Champions Trophy.

Iowa has won games with both Petras and sophomore Alex Padilla at quarterback.

The Hawkeyes have prevailed through losing Moss, the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, and fifth-year starting cornerback Matt Hankins, among other players, through stretches of the season.

“They stayed resilient,” Ferentz said. “They just kept working and kept trying to improve. That’s all we ask them to do every week is try to improve. I think they were committed to that.”

“We lost a couple games and a lot of people were pretty low on us, saying we were

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 5

overrated and things of that nature,” Koerner said. “We knew who we were. We knew that those two losses didn’t define us. All we could do was keep winning games. At the end of the day, it’s just about winning football games and that’s what we’ve been trying to do. That’s obviously what we’re going to try to do on Saturday, too.”

Ferentz stood at a podium at Big Ten Media Days at Lucas Oil Stadium in July. The Big Ten Championship Trophy was being displayed just off the stage.

The last time Ferentz was in that stadium, things didn’t end well for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa’s perfect season ended in 2015 with a heartbreaking, last-minute loss to Michigan State. The program’s focus since then has been getting back to Indianapolis. In Iowa’s indoor practice facility,

a banner hangs prominently just above the doors to the weight room. Its message is clear: “The road to Indianapolis travels through these doors.”

The eight words hang just below Iowa’s conference championship banners. A new Big Ten West Champions banner is already on the way. Another banner could be on the way if the Hawkeyes overcome the Wolverines.

“If somebody wants to believe in us to win, that’s great,” Koerner said. “If they don’t, that really doesn’t bother us. We’re gonna go out on Saturday and play the same way. If people want to talk, they can say whatever they’d like.”

A Big Ten West team hasn’t won the Big Ten since divisions were realigned heading into the 2014 sea-

son. The Hawkeyes came closest with a three-point loss to the Spartans in 2015.

Ferentz recalls that, after the No. 4 Hawkeyes’ three-point loss to the No. 5 Spartans six years ago, his team was praised more than it had been for most of its 12-0 regular season.

In July, Ferentz wasn’t sure if this would be the team to get back to the Big Ten’s biggest game.

“I know all of us want to know the answers right now,” Ferentz said at Media Days. “None of us do. I don’t know how good we’ll be this year, but I can say I really like our football team.”

Turns out, Ferentz’s fondness for his team was warranted. But, entering the season, Iowa’s goal wasn’t just to get back to the Big Ten Championship Game. It was to win it this time. And

only the heavily favored Wolverines stand in the way of accomplishing that.

Iowa didn’t play in a bowl game last season because Missouri, its opponent in the Music City Bowl, withdrew from the game as a result of positive COVID-19 cases in its program. The last two times the Hawkeyes have been in the postseason, though, Petras recalls the Hawkeyes being doubted.

Against Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl to conclude the 2018 season, the Bulldogs were favored by a touchdown. In the 2019 Holiday Bowl, a graphic that showed every member of FOX’s pregame show picking USC over Iowa went viral.

Iowa won both games.

“I know I like being the underdog,” Petras said. “It’s

kind of fun. The first experience I had with that was the bowl game my freshman year against Mississippi State, where they had three first-round picks on defense and everyone thought they were gonna roll right over us. Then we went out there and beat them. USC in 2019, there’s that graphic of whatever pregame show that had everyone in the world picking USC because we’re just a bunch of slow guys from the Midwest. And we go out there and play great football and win the game convincingly. That’s the stuff that fires me up.”

The matchup between the Hawkeyes and the Wolverines kicks off at 7:17 p.m. on Saturday. The game will air on FOX. Most of the non-Io wa fans viewing the game may not give the Hawkeyes a chance at winning. Not

that that’s new.

And not that the Hawkeyes care.

“It doesn’t matter who people think is going to win,” Petras said. “It matters who plays better. It doesn’t matter who is the better team. It matters who plays better on Saturday. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we are that team.”

robert-read@uiowa.edu

B1G CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Who: No. 13 Iowa vs No. 2 Michigan When: 7:17 p.m. on Sat. Where: Lucas Oil Stadium Line: MICH -10.5

Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan Iowa celebrates a touchdown from Spencer Petras after a quarterback sneak during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Nov. 26.

6 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

Hawkeyes prep for Hutchinson The Hawkeye offense will have to go up against Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aidan Hutchinson on Saturday.

Hutchinson as the projected No. 1 pick in its latest edition of the 2022 mock draft.

The Big Ten Defensive

on the other side is, I don’t know, I don’t want to say equally as dangerous, but it’s pretty close. It’s a one-two …

I don’t know what you do to neutralize him, he’s just an outstanding player.”

— Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson collected three sacks against Ohio State.

Chloe Peterson Assistant Sports Editor The Hawkeyes will watch one player’s every move when they take the field at the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday: Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.

Quarterback Spencer Petras and the Hawkeye offense are already on the lookout.

“Defensively, it all starts with Aidan Hutchinson,” Petras said. “He’s a great

player, and we’re going to have to know where he’s at every play. But the rest of the defense is tough, physical, and wellcoached.”

The Michigan defense has allowed just 17.17 points per game throughout the regular season — just below Iowa’s 17.25 average.

Hutchinson has been the Wolverines’ defensive threat throughout the entire 2021 campaign. The Big Ten Defen-

Junfu Han /Syndication Detroit Free Press

sive Player of the Year broke Michigan’s single-season record in sacks in the final game of the regular season.

Hutchinson considered starting an NFL career after the 2020 season, but felt he had unfinished business at Michigan after a season-ending ankle injury.

So, Hutchinson returned for 2021. The 6-foot-6 senior has accumulated 13 total sacks and 14 tackles for loss throughout the 12-

game season.

And Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh believes Hutchinson’s 2021 resume constitutes a Heisman candidacy, and the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“I don’t know who has the first pick in the draft, but they should be studying very thoroughly Aidan Hutchinson,” Harbaugh told reporters Monday. “And, they should take him.”

Pro Football Focus has

Lineman of the Year recorded three sacks and 15 quarterback hurries against Ohio State as Michigan punched its ticket to its first-ever conference championship game.

“This is the best moment of my life,” Hutchinson said following Michigan’s 42-27 victory over Ohio State on Saturday. “I manifested it and I’m here with my family and teammates on this glorious day.”

Now, Hutchinson will bring his talents to the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz compared Hutchinson to Pro Football Hall of Famers Howie Long and John Randle — players that kept Ferentz up at night when he was an offensive line coach in the NFL. Ferentz also compared Hutchinson to former Wisconsin Badger and current Arizona Cardinal JJ Watt.

“I don’t know what you do to neutralize him, he’s just an outstanding player,” Ferentz said. “Yeah, we’d better know where he lines up. And it’s fairly predictable, but the only problem is the guy

I don’t know how often we face a team that has two guys outside like that, that can be as disruptive as they are.”

The Hawkeyes are also looking out for linebacker David Ojabo, who has recorded 11 sacks so far this season The 6-foot-5 junior has notched 33 total tackles, including 11 for loss.

“No. 97 [Hutchinson] and No. 55 [Ojabo] on defense, those guys are a problem,” Iowa running back Tyler Goodson said. “I know they have a lot of sacks in the pass rush game. So, it’s going to be very important for us to, maybe, have us running backs go out there and chip a guy and help those guys in the front to slow them down a little bit.”

Goodson and the Hawkeyes opened as 10.5-point underdogs against the Wolverines.

The Hawkeyes will face off against the Wolverines on Saturday at 7:17 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Conference title. The game will air on FOX.

chloe-peterson@uiowa.edu

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 7

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8 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP G

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HAWKEYES

Diante Vines Aaron Blom Nolan Donald Ryan Gersonde Cooper DeJean Tyrone Tracy, Jr. Dane Belton Leshon Williams Jestin Jacobs Joey Labas Keagan Johnson Reggie Bracy Spencer Petras Matt Hankins Alex Padilla Tory Taylor Arland Bruce IV Caleb Shudak AJ Lawson Jaxon Rexroth Joe Evans Henry Marchese Brody Brecht Dallas Craddieth Tyler Goodson Jamison Heinz Charlie Jones Brenden Deasfernandes Max White Austin Spiewak Alec Wick Gaven Cooke Max Cooper Deavin Hilson Thomas Hartlieb Ivory Kelly-Martin Terry Roberts Xavior Williams Kelby Telander Gavin Williams Kaevon Merriweather Jermari Harris Jack Johnson Jack Koerner Sebastian Castro Jackson Ritter Quinn Schulte Jack Campbell Eli Miller Johnny Plewa Riley Moss Zach Brand Jay Higgins Justice Sullivan Mike Timm Kyler Fisher Monte Pottebaum Eric Epenesa Turner Pallissard Josef Smith Jaden Harrell

WR K WR P DB WR DB RB LB QB WR DB QB DB QB P WR K DB DB DE DB WR DB RB DB WR DB RB LS WR DB WR RB DB RB DB DB LB RB DB DB WR DB DB WR DB LB LB FB DB RB LB LB LB DB FB LB FB LB LB

6-0 5-11 5-9 6-4 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-4 6-1 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 5-8 6-0 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-4 5-11 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-0 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-0 5-11 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2

193 190 194 197 203 201 205 205 236 194 197 206 233 185 197 231 193 178 192 193 248 199 205 205 199 205 188 189 187 237 180 189 191 192 195 200 180 192 208 211 211 185 193 204 204 214 201 243 212 235 194 198 227 233 233 225 246 189 245 221 231

#Fr #Fr Soph Sr Fr Jr Jr #Fr Soph Fr Fr Soph Jr Sr Soph Soph Fr Sr #Fr Fr Jr Sr Fr Jr Jr #Fr Sr #Fr Fr Sr Fr Fr Sr Fr Soph Sr Jr Sr Fr #Fr Jr Soph #Fr Sr Soph Soph Soph Jr Fr Soph Sr Fr Soph Fr Jr Soph Jr Fr Jr #Fr Fr

Danbury, CT Oskaloosa, IA Morton, IL Milwaukee, WI Odebolt, IA Indianapolis, IN Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Englewood, OH Brecksville, OH Bellevue, NE Mobile, AL San Rafael, CA Lewisville, TX Greenwood Village, CO Melbourne, Australia Olathe, KS Council Bluffs, IA Decatur, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Ames, IA Vernon Hills, IL Ankeny, IA St. Louis, MO Suwanee, GA Humboldt, IA Deerfield, IL Belleville, MI Cedar Rapids, IA Rolling Meadows, IL Iowa City, IA Kentfield, CA Waukesha, WI Des Moines, IA Madison, WI Plainfield, IL Erie, PA Burlington, IA North Liberty, IA Altoona, IA Belleville, MI Chicago, IL West Des Moines, IA Des Moines, IA Oak Lawn, IL Frankfort, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Falls, IA Sedalia, CO Franklin, WI Ankeny, IA Grimes, IA Indianapolis, IN Eden Prairie, MN Delafield, WI Farnhamville, IA Larchwood, IA Glen Carbon, IL Frankfort, IL Britt, IA Urbandale, IA

42 42 43 44 44 45 45 46 47 48 48 49 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 85 86 86 87 88 88 89 91 92 94 95 96 97 97 98 99

Denin Limouris Zach Twedt Karson Sharar Seth Benson Luke Elkin Deontae Craig Nick Phelps Logan Klemp Wyatt Wegener Max Llewellyn Bryce Schulte Ethan Hurkett Andrew Lentsch Zach Kluver Louie Stec Jeremiah Pittman Asher Fahey Michael Myslinski Matt Fagan Luke Empen Nick DeJong Clayton Thurm Taylor Fox Griffin Liddle Justin Britt Kyler Schott Tyler Linderbaum Jeremy Chaplin Gennings Dunker Tyler Endres Beau Stephens Cody Ince David Davidkov Josh Volk Tyler Elsbury Connor Colby Mason Richman Jack Plumb Brennan Sweeney Desmond Hutson Johnny Pascuzzi Jameson Witte Sam LaPorta Luke Lachey Logan Lee Jeff Bowie Tommy Kujawa Elijah Yelverton Isaiah Bruce Jackson Frericks Nico Ragaini Lukas Van Ness John Waggoner Yahya Black Logan Jones Lucas Amaya Liam Reardon Zach VanValkenburg Chris Reames Noah Shannon

TE/FB LB LB LB LS DL P LB LB DL TE DL TE LS DT DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DE WR TE DL TE TE DL DL TE TE DL TE WR DL DL DL DL K LS DL DL DL

6-2 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-3 5-10 6-2 6-2 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-6 6-0 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-7 6-0

227 229 201 229 200 263 205 234 212 232 245 261 227 199 264 303 281 278 287 289 292 281 290 267 302 294 290 268 291 295 300 282 286 308 301 298 296 296 243 208 224 265 249 248 277 268 236 248 281 229 191 264 266 287 282 207 218 267 270 289

Fr Fr Fr Jr Fr #Fr Jr Jr #Fr Fr Sr #Fr Fr Soph Soph Fr #Fr Fr Jr Jr Soph Soph Soph Fr Soph Sr Jr Fr Fr Soph Fr Jr Fr #Fr #Fr Fr #Fr Jr Fr Soph Fr #Fr Jr #Fr Soph Fr Sr #Fr #Fr Soph Jr #Fr Jr #Fr #Fr Soph #Fr Sr Soph Jr

Glen Ellyn, IL Story City, IA Iowa Falls, IA Sioux Falls, SD Neenah, WI Fort Wayne, IN Kingsley, IA Jewell, IA Algona, IA Urbandale, IA Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids, IA West Des Moines, IA Ankeny, IA LaGrange Park, IL Palatine, IL Waukon, IA Jacksonville, FL Council Bluffs, IA Clinton, IA Pella, IA Williamsburg, IA Winthrop, IA Bettendorf, IA Indianapolis, IN Coggon, IA Solon, IA Waverly, IA Lena, IA Norwalk, IA Blue Springs, MO Luck, WI Glenview, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Byron, IL Cedar Rapids, IA Leawood, KS Green Bay, WI Waukon, IA Raytown, MO Olathe, KS O’Fallon, MO Highland, IL Columbus, OH Orion, IL West Branch, IA Greendale, WI Royse City, TX Lena, IL Cedar Falls, IA East Haven, CT Barrington, IL Des Moines, IA Marshall, MN Council Bluffs, IA Muskego, WI Chicago, IL Zeeland, MI Van Meter, IA Aurora, IL

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 9

GAME: IOWA vs. MICHIGAN

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WOLVERINES

Andrel Anthony Ja'Den McBurrows Blake Corum Brad Hawkins A.J. Henning Dan Villari Vincent Gray Mike Sainristil DJ Turner Cornelius Johnson R.J. Moten Donovan Edwards Makari Paige Ronnie Bell J.J. Mccarthy Cristian Dixon Anthony Solomon Cade McNamara Josh Ross Jake Moody Roman Wilson Quinten Johnson Alan Bowman Christopher Hinton Davis Warren Jalen Perry Peyton Smith Braiden McGregor Jesse Madden Keshaun Harris Rod Moore Tommy Doman Kalel Mullings Tavierre Dunlap Gemon Green Michael Barrett Danny Hughes George Johnson Hassan Haskins Junior Colson Jake Thaw Rayshaun Benny Christian Bartholomew Tyler McLaurin Darion Green-Warren Joey Velazquez Rhett Andersen Will Rolapp Daxton Hill Lucas Andrighetto Jordan Morant Jaylen Harrell Nolan Knight German Green Jaydon Hood Luke Buckman Caden Kolesar Nico Tiberia Andre Seldon Josh Beetham Eamonn Dennis Joe Taylor Peyton O'Leary Matt Torey

WR DB RB DB WR QB DB WR DB WR DB RB DB WR QB WR LB QB LB K WR DB QB DL QB DB QB DE QB DB DB K LB RB DB LB RB DB RB LB WR DL WR LB DB LB K WR DB RB DB LB LB DB LB TE DB RB DB TE DB RB WR WR

6-2 5-11 5-8 6-1 5-10 6-4 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-5 5-10 5-9 5-8 6-5 5-10 5-10 6-4 5-10

185 197 200 221 185 235 192 185 181 211 221 202 192 192 197 197 215 212 224 211 180 200 205 310 195 187 192 265 198 186 173 190 236 222 181 227 200 186 220 225 190 292 182 237 173 228 172 186 192 204 210 242 215 190 212 237 196 201 173 239 175 184 190 183

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East Lansing, MI Fort Lauderdale, FL Marshall, VA Pennsauken, NJ Frankfort, IL Massapequa, NY Rochester, MI Everett, MA Suwanee, GA Greenwich, CT Delran, NJ West Bloomfield, MI West Bloomfield, MI Kansas City, MO La Grange Park, IL Santa Ana, CA Fort Lauderdale, FL Reno, NV Southfield, MI Northville, MI Honolulu, HI Washington, DC Grapevine, TX Johns Creek, GA Los Angeles, CA Dacula, GA Ithaca, MI Port Huron, MI Oakland, CA Lansing, MI Clayton, OH Rochester Hills, MI West Roxbury, MA Del Valle, TX DeSoto, TX Valdosta, GA McKeesport, PA Greenwich, CT Eureka, MI Brentwood, TN Westport, CT Detroit, MI Galesburg, MI Bolingbrook, IL Torrance, CA Columbus, OH Poquoson, VA Darien, CT Tulsa, OK Mountain View, CA Parsippany, NJ Tampa, FL Northville, MI DeSoto, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL Holland, MI Westlake, OH Allen Park, MI Belleville, MI Yorkville, IL Worcester, MA Chelsea, MI Byfield, MA Sterling Heights, MI

40 40 41 41 42 42 43 44 45 45 46 49 50 51 52 52 53 54 54 55 55 56 57 58 58 61 62 65 66 67 68 70 71 72 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 88 88 89 90 91 91 92 93 93 94 95 96 97 99

Christian Boivin Leon Franklin Isaiah Gash Nikhai Hill-Green TJ Guy Trevor Andrews Andrew Russell Joshua Luther Noah Howes Greg Tarr Alexander Lidback William Wagner Jerome Nichols Greg Crippen Karsen Barnhart Kechaun Bennett Trente Jones Kraig Correll George Rooks Mica Gelb David Ojabo Dominick Giudice Joey George Giovanni El-hadi Mazi Smith Noah Stewart Raheem Anderson Zak Zinter Chuck Filiaga Jess Speight Andrew Vastardis Jack Stewart Andrew Stueber Tristan Bounds Elijah Pierre Reece Atteberry Peter Simmons Ryan Hayes Trevor Keegan Griffin Korican Jeffrey Persi Hunter Neff Louis Hansen Max Bredeson Erick All Sam Staruch Joel Honigford Daylen Baldwin Luke Schoonmaker Mathew Harrison Matthew Hibner Carter Selzer Mike Morris Taylor Upshaw Brad Robbins Ike Iwunnah Cole Hussung Jordan Whittley Kris Jenkins Donovan Jeter Julius Welschof Aidan Hutchinson Gabe Newburg

RB RB RB LB DE DB DB DB TE LS LB LS LB OL OL DE OL OL DL OL LB DL DL OL DL OL OL OL OL DL OL DL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL TE TE TE TE WR TE WR TE WR TE TE DE DE P DL K DL DL DL DL DE DE

6-0 5-8 5-10 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-2 5-9 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-0 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-7 6-8 6-1 6-5 6-3 6-7 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-2 6-6 6-2 6-4 6-1 6-6 6-2 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-8 6-6 6-4 6-1 6-3 5-9 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-5

204 206 178 220 251 218 191 184 234 207 223 247 224 290 307 241 307 311 270 292 250 275 262 318 326 274 302 320 337 310 294 314 338 282 272 307 291 307 324 316 305 237 252 222 245 180 257 219 250 205 244 242 278 262 203 306 194 348 275 325 288 265 251

Fr Jr #Fr Soph Fr Fr Fr Jr Fr #Fr Fr Jr #Fr Fr Jr Fr Jr Sr Fr Jr Jr Fr Sr Fr Jr #Fr Fr Soph Sr Sr Sr Jr Sr Fr Sr Soph Fr Sr Jr Sr #Fr Jr Fr Fr Jr #Fr Sr Sr Sr Jr #Fr Sr Jr Sr Sr Fr #Fr Sr Soph Sr Sr Sr Jr

Traverse City, MI Southfield, MI Green Bay, WI Baltimore, MD Mansfield, MA Brentwood, TN Victor, NY Clarkston, MI Rochester, MI Washington, MI Alpharetta, GA Alpharetta, GA Belleville, MI Northborough, MA Paw Paw, MI Suffield, CT Grayson, GA Blairstown, NJ Jersey City, NJ Washington, DC Aberdeen, Scotland Freehold, NJ Walled Lake, MI Sterling Heights, MI Grand Rapids, MI Muskegon, MI Detroit, MI North Andover, MA Aledo, TX Richmond, VA Ashburn, VA New Canaan, CT Darien, CT Wallingford, CT Rockland, MA Aurora, Mexico Bonita Springs, FL Traverse City, MI Crystal Lake, IL Seattle, WA Mission Viejo, CA Chelsea, MI Needham, MA Hartland, WI Fairfield, OH Lake Orion, MI Sugarcreek, OH Southfield, MI Hamden, CT Ortonville, MI Burke, VA Kansas City, MO Belle Glade, FL Bradenton, FL Westerville, OH Garland, TX Floyds Knobs, IN Richmond, CA Olney, MD Beaver Falls, PA Miesbach, Germany Dearborn, MI Clayton, OH

10 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

Fast facts: Big Ten Championship Game edition Get to know the Iowa-Michigan matchup ahead of this Saturday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Robert Read Pregame Editor The No. 13 Iowa football team (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten) faces off against No. 2 Michigan (11-1, 8-1) in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Saturday.

The matchup between the Big Ten West and East champions will kick off at 7:17 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

The game will air on FOX. Both teams are seeking their first Big Ten Championships since 2004, when both programs tied for the conference title. Iowa is seeking its first outright Big Ten championship since 1985.

Before the championship game, check up on some fast

facts on the Hawkeye-Wolverine matchup.

Iowa vs. Michigan series history The Wolverines hold a 4215-4 all-time advantage in their series over the Hawkeyes.

The first game played in the series, a 28-5 Iowa win, took place in 1900.

Saturday is the fourth time the two teams will meet with Michigan ranked No. 2 in the country. On two of those occasions, Iowa won with walk-off field goals. In 1985, the topranked Hawkeyes defeated the second-ranked Wolverines, 1210, at Kinnick Stadium. In the

first meeting between Ferentz and Harbaugh as head coaches, Iowa knocked off No. 2 Michigan, 14-13, in Iowa City, thanks to Keith Duncan’s last-second kick. Iowa is 1-1 against Michigan during Harbaugh’s seven years there. Iowa has won five of the last seven meetings against Michigan. The teams were scheduled to play last year during the Big Ten’s “Champions Week,” but positive COVID-19 cases within the Wolverine program led to the game’s cancellation.

How Iowa would compare to past champions A Big Ten West team has

never won the Big Ten Championship Game since the conference realigned ahead of the 2014 season. Ohio State has won the conference in five of the last seven seasons, including the last four. Michigan State (2015) and Penn State (2016) are one-time winners of the Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa lost to Michigan State by three points in its only previous championship game appearance. Wisconsin (four times), Northwestern (twice), and Iowa (twice) have represented the West in the Big Ten Championship Game since the East-West formats were introduced. This is Michigan’s first time representing the East.

On four of seven occasions since 2014, the winner of the Big Ten Championship Game has gone on to make the College Football Playoff (Ohio State three times and Michigan State once). After beating Wisconsin in 2016, Penn State went to the Rose Bowl (not in the CFP that year). Two regular season losses prevented the Nittany Lions from going to the playoff. A similar situation struck in 2017 and 2018, when the Buckeyes went to the Cotton and Rose Bowls after winning the conference title.

If Iowa were to upset 10.5-point favorite Michigan, it would be the lowest scoring team to win the Big Ten title since 2014. The Hawkeyes are averaging 25.7

points per game this season. Of the past seven Big Ten Champions, Michigan State in 2015 is the lowest-scoring team at 29.8 points per game. Penn State averaged 37.6 points per game when it won the title. Every Ohio State championship team since 2014 has scored at least 40 points per game. On the other side, Iowa would have the second-best scoring defense of any Big Ten champ in that span.

Iowa is allowing 17.25 points per game this season (ninthbest in the nation), which can only be topped by 2019 Ohio State (13.7 points per game allowed.

robert-read@uiowa.edu

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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 11

COLUMN

Charting Iowa’s road to Indianapolis Let’s take a look back at the moments that have defined Iowa’s season leading up to the Big Ten Championship Game. how opportunistic Iowa’s defense was going to be.

Oh, and this game definitely won Moss the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year honor.

Robert Read Pregame Editor Indianapolis, here come the Hawkeyes.

It’s tough to imagine saying that after Iowa lost to Wisconsin, or when the Hawkeyes trailed the Cornhuskers by 15 points in the second half of the regular season finale. Or at about a dozen other points this season. But here we are. It took a comeback win against Nebraska and a Wisconsin loss, but the Hawkeyes are officially going for their first Big Ten title since 2004 and first outright conference championship since 1985.

Iowa’s 12-game season was full of its ups and downs. I went back and picked out a defining moment from each one of them on Iowa’s path to Indianapolis: Riley Moss takes two picks to the house against Indiana: I’m still in disbelief at how that Indiana game started out. That’s mostly because of Riley Moss’ two interception returns for touchdowns off of Michael Penix Jr. This was an early indication of

Jack Campbell’s scoop and score helped Iowa pull away from Iowa State: Iowa’s third defensive touchdown through two games was a killer for the Cyclones.

Campbell picked up a Breece Hall fumble and returned it six yards for a score to put Iowa up double-digits in a top-10 Cy-Hawk showdown.

Jestin Jacobs’ forced fumble turns momentum against Kent State: Rinse and repeat. Iowa’s defense made another timely play. Jacobs forced a fumble at Iowa’s goal line when Kent State was approaching cutting into Iowa’s lead in the second half and the Hawkeyes led by nine. I’m sensing a theme here.

Keagan Johnson goes deep against Colorado State: I could go with Campbell forcing a fumble at Colorado State’s 6-yard line when the Rams led by seven points in the second half. But I think the memorable play from this game is Johnson catching a 43-yard touchdown on his first college reception.

It was an early sign that he needed to be included more in the offense.

Special teams play sparks scoring rampage against Maryland: There’s a lot to choose from here.

Iowa scored six touchdowns and forced seven turnovers in this game. The one that got things going was Sebastian Castro forcing a Maryland fumble on a kickoff when Iowa led by three. The Hawkeyes quickly scored again, and again, and again...

Nico Ragaini’s game-winning touchdown stuns Penn State: Yeah, you know what play I’m talking about. It was offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s best play call of the season, and resulted in a play-action Spencer Petras dime to Ragaini for a win over Penn State in a top-five matchup.

Purdue’s David Bell terrorizes Iowa: Throw in any Bell reception you want here.

There are a lot to choose from. This game started Iowa on its downward two-game spiral after the Hawkeyes reached No. 2 in the nation.

A disastrous offense and a QB injury late vs. Wisconsin: Iowa didn’t pick up a first down against Wisconsin until the final minute of the first half. The Hawkeyes turned the ball over three times, allowed six sacks, and only gained 24 rushing yards on the day. I could go on. Oh, and Petras hurt his shoulder, a storyline that has car-

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan Iowa fans storm the field after Iowa’s win over Penn State in a top-five matchup at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 9. The win over the Nittany Lions served as the standout moment of the Hawkeyes’ 10-win regular season.

ried through the rest of the season. Winning the West seemed basically impossible at this point.

A QB change against Northwestern: Alex Padilla trotted onto the field late in the first quarter against the Wildcats and quickly led the Hawkeyes on two scoring drives. This was the start of Iowa’s current winning streak, and its QB controversy.

Two big-play touchdowns keep momentum going against Minnesota: A 72-yard bomb to receiver

Charlie Jones and an incredible catch and run to Keagan Johnson for 27 yards showed that Iowa’s offense still had some signs of life.

Jones strikes again on special teams against Illinois: Another big play from Jones, this time a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Illinois when Iowa trailed 10-0. The play propelled Iowa to the comeback win it needed to stay alive in the West.

The blocked punt that won the West: Speaking

of sparking a comeback, look no further than Henry Marchese’s punt block that was returned for a touchdown. That was the start of Iowa scoring 22 consecutive points to defeat Nebraska, 28-21. It was the biggest play of Iowa’s season so far, and set up the biggest game of Iowa’s season so far.

Iowa (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big Ten) faces Michigan (11-1, 8-1) in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday.

robert-read@uiowa.edu

12 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

WITH IOWA CENTER TYLER LINDERBAUM Daily Iowan Sports Editor Austin Hanson talked to Linderbaum at an Iowa football media availability session on Nov. 30.

Austin Hanson Sports Editor

Linderbaum: Obviously, I’m a little undersized, which definitely has to be an advantage for me. I can’t be a fat slob out there. So, I’m gonna use my athletic ability to my advantage. At the end of the day, that’s what I try to use as a separator from all the other people in the country.

The Daily Iowan: So, the first question I have for you is this: Obviously, everyone wants to push the narrative that the NFL is the dream of all good football players. Was that something you actually dreamt about as a kid? Or was that not your vibe?

Tyler Linderbaum: Obviously, as you get older from high school, getting recruited, coming to college, it has become a goal for me. But growing up, it wasn’t really a goal for me. I’ve been so focused on whatever season I’m in. When I was playing basketball, I wanted to be an NBA player. You know, if I was playing baseball, I wanted to be in the MLB. I kinda fell in love with whatever season I was in. During that season, I didn’t focus on anything else.

I only focused on whatever sport I was in. I wouldn’t say playing in the NFL, NBA, MLB was one of my goals. If I was playing that sport that season, I’d say, “Gosh, that’d be cool if I was playing there.”

DI: So, you grew up in Solon. Did you ever dream you’d be playing in the Big Ten Championship Game with the Iowa football team?

Linderbaum: I don’t think I ever dreamt about that. One, I didn’t even know where I was gonna go to college. Obvi-

DI: Can you talk about your decision to sell T-shirts earlier this season and then donate that money?

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Spencer Petras during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Nov. 26. ously, I had the opportunity to come here to Iowa. Once I got here? Absolutely. You know, that was the goal. I thought it would be awesome to play for a Big Ten title. You know, do it for your university. Do it for your players that you’re playing with. When I was younger, I don’t even know that I’d recognize that there was a Big Ten Championship. Obviously, when I got older and into high school and stuff like that, I would watch it, especially in

2015. I remember watching that game. It’s just kinda crazy how things work out. You go from watching that game to playing in it five years later.

DI: Before I ever started watching you play, I hadn’t seen very many centers try to run out and block a defensive end or linebacker on the edge. Do you stretch for that?

What’s the mentaily there?

Linderbaum:

Whatever

the coaches want me to do, I’ll try to do it to the best of my ability. Sometimes, going out there and blocking the smaller guys might be a little harder. They’re a little more shifty than I am. But I’m just trying to get the job done for the team.

DI: You ever think that’s a lot to do? Snap it, run out there, try to find the guy, and block them.

Linderbaum: I wouldn’t say so. I mean, I played defensive line. So, you gotta run around a little bit. Part of my game is being able to be athletic, being able to move around and block in the second level. So, anytime I get the chance to do so, I like the opportunity.

DI: Is being mobile for a center something you emphasize in your strength and conditioning?

Linderbaum: So, the idea came about in class. I was in some class and we had to create a product and stuff like that, then sell it. Then, one of the people in my class decided they were going to donate to the [University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital].

We had ‘baum squad shirts that my family was just selling to family and friends. Like, you know what, let’s talk to my family members that helped me out with this. Let’s try to do something to where all the profits go to the children’s hospital. I didn’t anticipate it getting as big as it did. You know, I think we’re donating $30,000. So, that’s something that’s pretty special.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Read the full interview at dailyiowan.com.

austin-hanson@uiowa.edu

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 13

What’s the biggest key to an Iowa win?

All four Daily Iowan football writers picked out an area the Hawkeyes have to succeed in if they want to upset the Wolverines in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Quarterback play Robert Read Pregame Editor Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: It all comes back to quarterback play.

Read Well, that’s certainly going to be true this Saturday when Iowa takes on Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. Because Iowa is not going to win if Spencer Petras doesn’t have one of his best games in a Hawkeye uniform.

Also, let me get something out of the way. I agree with head coach Kirk Ferentz’s decision to start Petras this week.

Alex Padilla hasn’t been as effective over the last couple games as he was over his first couple appearances. Petras looked pretty sharp in the second half against Nebraska, much better than he’s looked for most of the season.

Limiting turnovers Chloe Peterson Assistant Sports Editor Jack Campbell said it best.

“Whoever comes out on Peterson top, I’m going to just assume right now that the turnover takeaway margin was probably in their favor,” Campbell said in a Zoom conference with reporters Monday.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Iowa and Michigan will match up at the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday in a battle of stout defenses.

Michigan has Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and probable Heisman candidate Aidan Hutchinson on its defensive line. Iowa has Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year Riley Moss in its secondary.

The Hawkeye secondary has recorded

Iowa is going with the hot hand in Petras. And the second-year starter needs to prove that that was a good decision.

Here’s what’s not going to beat Michigan: Careless throws that lead to turnovers, being antsy in the pocket because of a potent pass rush, or staring down receivers rather than going through reads and finding open targets. We’ve seen Petras do all those things on multiple occasions.

Michigan has one of the best defenses in the country, and is by far the best team Iowa has played this season. Ferentz loves to point out that Petras is a pretty experienced quarterback. Petras needs to put that experience to use in the biggest game the Hawkeyes have played in recent years and be the consistent, level-headed leader Iowa needs if it wants to pull off this upset.

robert-read@uiowa.edu 22 interceptions throughout the 12-game regular season, leading Division I football by three.

Moss has recorded four interceptions, and junior cash Dane Belton leads the Hawkeyes (and the nation) with five.

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara has three interceptions on 14 passing touchdowns. If he wants to get out of this game with his interception tally intact, he’ll need to be as precise as possible with his receivers.

The Hawkeyes will need to have good ball security, both in the hands of their running backs and quarterbacks. Iowa QB Spencer Petras has thrown six interceptions and nine touchdowns this season.

Both the Wolverine and Hawkeye offenses will be up for a challenge on Saturday, and the winner will be determined by who can limit their turnovers.

chloe-peterson@uiowa.edu

Protecting the passer Austin Hanson Sports Editor If Iowa’s going to win the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game, the Hawkeyes’ offenHanson sive line will need to build an impenetrable fortress around junior quarterback Spencer Petras.

Iowa’s offensive line has struggled to protect its quarterback when they drop back to pass all year. The Hawkeyes’ offensive line has surrendered the second-most sacks in the Big Ten Conference this season. The 31 sacks Iowa has given up in 2021 rank 13th in the 14team Big Ten. Michigan’s pass rush ranks third in the league this year with 33 sacks.

The Wolverines’ defensive line features the Big Ten’s top two pass rush-

Stopping the run Chris Werner Sports Reporter

Werner

A Hawkeye victory starts with limiting the Michigan running game. Something Ohio State couldn’t do a

week ago.

Wolverine tailback Hassan Haskins found a lot of open space when the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes, 4227. The senior from Saint Louis, Missouri, rumbled for 169 rushing yards and five touchdowns in Ann Arbor last weekend. If he does that in Indianapolis on Saturday, it won’t be pretty for Iowa.

Six of Haskins’ 28 carries a week ago went for more than 10 yards and those rubs helped to set up an effective play-action pass game for Mich-

ers. Senior Aidan Hutchinson has sacked opposing quarterbacks on 13 occasions this season, junior David Ojabo has produced 11 sacks.

Iowa does have the horses on its offensive line to block Ojabo and Hutchinson — the Hawkeyes will just have to get creative.

Hawkeye center Tyler Linderbaum might be the best offensive lineman in the country this season and veteran guard Kyler Schott has also proven to be to be solid all year long.

If the Hawkeyes can find a way to flex Linderbaum and Schott outside to help struggling tackles Nick DeJong and Jack Plumb run block, Iowa might have a chance to beat mighty Michigan. It wouldn’t hurt Iowa to put an extra offensive lineman in the game on pass plays too.

austin-hanson@uiowa.edu igan quarterback Cade McNamara.

Just like the Hawkeye offense, everything starts with the run game for the Wolverines.

Michigan’s rushing game has produced 35 of the Wolverines’ 53 touchdowns and Haskins has contributed 18 of those scores. He is tied for the Big Ten lead in rushing touchdowns. Haskins is the Big Ten’s second-leading rusher with 1,232 rushing yards this season In Michigan’s lone loss of the year, a 37-33 defeat at the hands of rival Michigan State Spartans, the Wolverines ran for just 146 yards—their second-lowest single-game total of the season. Penn State held Michigan to 144 yards on the ground in a 21-17 Wolverine win.

If the Hawkeyes limit the run game, they’ll keep it close until the final minutes.

christopher-werner@uiowa.edu

14 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

ROBERT READ

PREGAME EDITOR (35-25)

VS.

MICHIGAN

I’m just here for Gus Johnson randomly screaming.

UTAH

VS.

If Iowa pulls an upset, the Utes will be waiting in Pasadena.

VS.

Both teams beat USC’s newest head coach this season.

BAYLOR

VS.

GEORGIA

Alabama still makes the CFP because of a high quality loss.

WAKE FOREST

VS.

Is this game even going to be televised?

AUSTIN HANSON

SPORTS EDITOR (40-20)

IOWA

Kirk’s strongest when nobody believes in him.

UTAH

We’ve seen this movie before.

OKLAHOMA ST

Wouldn’t it be chaotic if the Cowboys lost?

GEORGIA

Georgia-Iowa. CFP. Book it. — Me circa Week 6.

WAKE FOREST

Can we pick the AAC title game instead?

CHLOE PETERSON

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR (33-27)

MICHIGAN

Against a competent defense? Iowa doesn’t stand a chance.

UTAH

Ah yes, the team that knocked Oregon out of playoff contention.

OKLAHOMA ST

I wonder if Lincoln Riley would’ve stayed if he won Bedlam.

GEORGIA

CHRIS WERNER

FOOTBALL REPORTER (32-28)

IOWA

“Anything’s possible.” Kevin Garnett.

OREGON

“Won’t get fooled again.” - The Who.

OKLAHOMA ST

Watched the Cowboys for the first time last week. Impressive.

GEORGIA

DESTINEE COOK

DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (34-26)

IOWA

I’ll choose the underdogs (I’m just proud the Wolverines made it).

OREGON

Hard to beat the same team twice so...

OKLAHOMA ST

The Cowboys didn’t let me down last weekend.

GEORGIA

I just want Alabama out of the CFP.

I’m a dawg guy.

I’m an Alabama hater.

WAKE FOREST

PITTSBURGH

PITTSBURGH

I thought Pitt was in the AAC, not the ACC.

I had to Pickett.

Kenny Pickett.

JOHN BOHNENKAMP

SPORTS WRITING COACH (37-23)

IOWA

The Rose Bowl would be fun.

UTAH

JASON BRUMMOND PUBLISHER (41-19)

MICHIGAN

It was fun while it lasted.

UTAH

Iowa vs. Utah in Pasadena would be fun.

Pasadena is lovely this time of year.

OKLAHOMA ST

OKLAHOMA ST

Cowboys make their CFP case.

ALABAMA

Nick Saban smiled after the game on Sunday.

That’s something.

PITTSBURGH

Does anyone know this game is being played?

Cowboys look good enough to win the national title.

GEORGIA

Nobody wants Alabama in the playoff.

PITTSBURGH

I can’t think of a less exciting matchup.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021 - 15

What’s at stake for Iowa on Saturday?

Bowl implications are on the line for the Hawkeyes against the Wolverines on Saturday in the Big Ten title game.

Austin Hanson Sports Editor Iowa hasn’t been to the Big Ten Championship Game in a long time — six years to be precise.

The Hawkeyes earned their last conference title game bid in 2015, when they won the Big Ten West Division outright for the first time. Now, with its second outright Big Ten West Division title in its back pocket, 10-2 Iowa will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to take on 11-1 Michigan with a Big Ten championship on the line.

Iowa hasn’t won a Big Ten title since 2004. The Hawkeyes, coincidentally, shared the league championship with the Wolverines that season. In 2004, the Big Ten Conference didn’t even have its teams play in a championship game. The first-ever Big Ten Championship Game was played in 2011.

The 2004 Hawkeyes finished their season 10-2, with a win in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The name of that game has since changed to the Citrus Bowl.

The Hawkeyes won their last outright Big Ten title in 1985. Under then-head coach Hayden Fry, Iowa went 10-2 overall and made an appearance in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

With a win in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday, the 2021 Hawkeyes could find themselves participating in this season’s Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

The Hawkeyes haven’t won a Rose Bowl since 1959, when Iowa defeated the University of

Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz applauds the Military Hero of the Game during a football game between Iowa and Illinois at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 20.

California, 38-12. Forest Evashevski was Iowa’s head coach at the time. Iowa’s overall record is 2-4 in the Rose Bowl.

Under Fry, the Hawkeyes went 0-3 in Rose Bowl games.

Current head coach Kirk Ferentz is 0-1 in the Rose Bowl.

In 2015, Ferentz’s Hawkeyes were stomped by Stanford, 4516, in the Golden State.

Before the Hawkeyes can win their first Rose Bowl in over 60 years, they have to be

selected for it. Rose Bowl representatives have attended a number of Iowa football games this season. A Big Ten title would probably make Iowa a shoo-in for this year’s Rose Bowl Game.

If Iowa loses the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game, it may miss out on the Rose Bowl.

If the Hawkeyes don’t end up in the Rose Bowl, experts project the Hawkeyes to land

in the Citrus Bowl.

Iowa hasn’t played in the Citrus Bowl in 17 years. In the 2004 Citrus Bowl the Hawkeyes beat the LSU Tigers, 30-25. Quarterback Drew Tate completed a hail mary touchdown pass to wide receiver Warren Holloway on the last play of the game to give the Hawkeyes a slight edge over the Nick Saban-coached Tigers.

Before the Hawkeyes qual-

ified for the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game, pundits also predicted an Outback, Las Vegas, or Music City Bowl appearance for Iowa this season.

But with the Hawkeyes playing for the Big Ten title now, there seem to be two likely options for Iowa’s postseason play: the Rose Bowl or the Citrus Bowl. Iowa needs to be ranked inside the top 12 of the College Football Playoff rank-

ings to go to a New Year’s Six Bowl, including the Rose Bowl.

Iowa is No. 13 in this week’s rankings. A win over Michigan would shoot Iowa up the rankings and likely clinch the Hawkeyes a spot in Pasadena.

A loss to the Wolverines would keep the Hawkeyes out of New Year’s Six play, likely sending them to the Citrus Bowl.

austin-hanson@uiowa.edu

16 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 3, 2021

IOWA CITY’S BIG 3 Now Renting For Fall 2022 Telluride 278 E Court St

• First Floor Lounge Area • Fully Furnished • Cable & Internet Included

Whistler 416 E Iowa Avenue • First Floor Lounge Area w/Full Wet Bar • Roof Top Grilling Area • Fully Furnished • Big Screen Smart TV Included • Cable & Internet Included

Breckenridge 707 S Dubuque Street

• First Floor Lounge Area • Roof Top Grilling Area • Fully Furnished • Big Screen Smart TV Included • Cable & Internet Included

J Michael Real Estate

608.233.4440 | www.iowa-city.apartments