Will Michigan Rally Behind The Return of HC Jim Harbaugh in the Big Ten Championship?
After Reviewing The Matchup, We've Got a Michigan vs Iowa Free Pick
Ultimately, the Big Ten Championship was between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines last week. That was pretty much the game for the Big Ten Championship. However, because Michigan and Ohio State are in the same division in the Big Ten, only one of those teams can actually play in the Big Ten Championship.
Last week, Michigan earned a close win against Ohio State and will now play the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship.
The Wolverines are undefeated. Meanwhile, Iowa has had a couple of losses during the season. While the Hawkeyes can’t make the College Football Playoff with two losses, there’s a lot at stake for Michigan in this Big Ten Championship.
A win against Iowa would give Michigan another Big Ten Championship. But it would also allow Michigan to play in the College Football Playoff.
Michigan is a 23-point favorite, with odds at -110. Meanwhile, the total for this game is only at 35.5.
It’s unlikely Iowa will win outright. But can the Hawkeyes at least cover the spread?
We’ll provide a Michigan vs Iowa free pick for the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday night.
Michigan Wolverines vs. Iowa Hawkeyes 
Day/Time: Saturday, December 2, 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
Streaming: FOX
Michigan vs Iowa Free Pick & Betting Trends
The Michigan Wolverines are undefeated this season. However, Michigan has only gone 6-5-1 against the spread this year. The Wolverines have also hit the Over in six of 12 games this season, with five hitting the Under and one being a push. The last two games for Michigan have gone over the total.
Meanwhile, Iowa has also gone 6-5-1 against the spread this college football season. But they’ve hit the Under in ten of 12 games, even with totals as low as 25. The Hawkeyes are on a seven-game streak of hitting the Under. That’s because the defense is elite, and the offense is one of the worst in the nation.
Michigan has defeated Iowa in three straight games dating back to 2019. The Wolverines won those three games and covered in all three matchups.
Is Sherrone Moore a Michigan Legend?
Jim Harbaugh was suspended for a potential cheating scandal for the final three regular-season games. When Harbaugh finally accepted the penalty given by the Big Ten, he elected Sherrone Moore to be the interim head coach.
Moore’s been a terrific assistant coach all season long. He’s already been included on the finalist list for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football. Moore helped Michigan earn wins against Penn State, Maryland, and Ohio State, which isn’t easy. Now that Harbaugh is back, he stated at his press conference that Moore is a Michigan legend.
He then listed many other people as Michigan legends in a hilarious press conference filled with funny moments. Harbaugh’s likely laughing because he got away with cheating, missed three games, and his team still found a way to win. Now he’ll be back to prepare Michigan against Iowa for the Big Ten Championship.
Iowa Still Believes It Got Screwed
The Iowa Hawkeyes have had two losses this season. One came against Minnesota when Cooper DeJean’s punt return for a touchdown was called back due to calling for a fair catch. However, DeJean never called for a fair catch. Instead, he was motioning his players to get away from the football so that he could pick it up and make a play.
Iowa lost that game 12-10 at home when the Hawkeyes probably should’ve won. With one loss, Iowa would be in a different spot heading into this game against Michigan. At 11-1, with a win against Michigan, would Iowa be considered for the College Football Playoff? It’s very likely. But not that whole scenario is moot because of a replay decision that made no sense.
A Defensive Battle
The Iowa Hawkeyes have been in defensive battles all season. The offense has averaged below 250 yards per game, while the defense has given up a little more than 200 yards a game. Iowa relies heavily on its defense. The Hawkeyes have allowed just 12.17 points per game this season. However, they’ve only managed 18 points per game on offense.
Iowa’s starting quarterback, Cade McNamara, a former Michigan quarterback, tore his ACL, leading to Deacon Hill at quarterback. He’s been awful, throwing for five touchdowns and six interceptions on the year. Iowa has averaged 108.17 yards in the air this season, which is dreadful.
But stunningly enough, the Hawkeyes are 10-2 because of the consistency of its defense.
It’s just going to be hard to stop Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines have added 37.58 points per game, with nearly 400 yards of offense per game. McNamara left Michigan because J.J. McCarthy won the job at Michigan. Meanwhile, McNamara beat out Deacon Hill for the Iowa starting job.
Therefore, this game will have a massive difference between the two quarterbacks. But as long as Iowa can limit turnovers and play the field position game, the Hawkeyes should still escape with a cover of 22.5 points.
The Hawkeyes finished at the top of the Big Ten standings on the West side of the bracket because of their defense. The college football odds don’t favor Iowa using the NCAAF picks against the spread, but our Michigan vs Iowa free pick likes Iowa to at least stay within striking distance.
If the Hawkeyes can find a way to score one touchdown in this game, they’ll more than likely cover with the defense that they’ve got. Take Iowa at +23. Just make sure your number is better than +21.
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