Michigan Faces Purdue in Big Ten Championship

The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines face the unranked Purdue Boilermakers in the Big Ten Championship Saturday at 8 p.m.

Michigan advanced to the Big Ten championship after defeating Ohio State 45-23 on Saturday. The Wolverines are returning to the Big Ten Championship Game for the second year in a row and will look to repeat as champions.

Boilermaker Win Streak

Meanwhile, Purdue is riding a three-game win streak heading into the matchup. Last week, the Boilermakers secured a 30-16 win over Indiana thanks to a second half comeback. Senior quarterback Aidan O’Connell led the way with 290 passing yards, completing 18-of-29 passes. Senior wide receiver Charlie Jones caught four of those passes for 143 receiving yards.

https://twitter.com/PurdueOnBTN/status/1597993032854315018?cxt=HHwWlIClzcyMm60sAAAA

Freshman running back Devin Mockobee posted 99 rushing yards on 15 carries and one touchdown in the win over the Hoosiers.

The Boilermakers’ 8-4 record is nowhere near as impressive as the Wolverines’ 12-0 record, but Purdue still enters the matchup with a momentum-building win streak.

Wolverines Strive For Perfection

Michigan faced its toughest test of the season last week against the then No. 2 Buckeyes. The Wolverines rose to the occasion and silenced doubters on the legitimacy of this year’s squad.

Still hungry for more.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/wac8UdNhQo

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 1, 2022

Sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy took command of Michigan’s offense, tallying 263 yards in the air and completing 12-of-24 passes. Michigan wouldn’t have been able to pull out the victory without the help of sophomore running back Donovan Edwards. He recorded 216 yards on the ground on 22 carries and accounted for two of the Wolverines’ touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Cornelius Johnson also contributed two of Michigan’s touchdowns along with his 160 receiving yards.

What’s Looming?

A win would secure Michigan a spot in the College Football Playoff. Kickoff is set for Saturday at 8 p.m. in Indianapolis.