Michigan vs. Iowa score: Live updates, college football scores, 2023 Big Ten Championship Game coverage

Live updates, highlights and analysis as the Wolverines and Hawkeyes meet for the Big Ten title on Saturday

Johnson making big plays for Michigan

Few could have guessed that wide receiver Cornelius Johnson would be Michigan's best offensive weapon tonight, but here we are. The senior receiver hasn't had 40 yards receiving in a single game since Oct. 7's win against Minnesota, but he is already up to 44 against Iowa with over 12 minutes to play in the third quarter. He's made some very timely catches as well. He fought off an Iowa defensive back to convert on second-and-4 during Michigan's first drive in the second half. He also had a 10-yard catch on Michigan's fourth-and-7 conversion early in the fourth quarter to set up its field goal. 

Michigan's lead holds entering second half

Half: No. 2 Michigan 10, No. 16 Iowa 0

Michigan scored 10 points in the first quarter, but this one has been a snooze-fest since. Iowa's defense actually improved in the second quarter, sacking Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy three times. Two of those came on third down and the other ended the half. Michigan's second punt following a sack traveled just 25 yards and took a friendly bounce in Iowa's favor, giving the Hawkeyes the ball on Michigan's 38-yard line. Iowa went on to literally fumble its best scoring opportunity away after Jaziun Patterson lost the ball while fighting for a first down. 

At least Tory Taylor came to play for the Hawkeyes. In fact, he may have just been the best player for either team in the first half. He punted six times for a total of 318 yards, averaging 53 yards per kick. Four of his punts went for at least 50 yards and one traveled 68 yards to pin Michigan inside its 20-yard line. Without his field-flipping abilities, Michigan might have a much larger lead. 

Iowa fumbles its best opportunity away

Iowa finally had a break go its way. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy slipped for a loss of 16 yards on third-and-9 after scrambling around for a while. Wolverines punter Tommy Doman then booted a kick that traveled 25 net yards and took a very friendly Iowa bounce, giving the Hawkeyes the ball on Michigan's 38-yard line. Surely with that field position, Iowa could cash in at least a field goal to cut into Michigan's 10-0 lead. Instead, running back Jaziun Patterson fumbled the ball while trying to fight for a first down on third-and-2 and the Wolverines jumped on it. Fortunately, Iowa's defense forced a three-and-out and is singlehandedly keeping the Hawkeyes in this game, but Michigan is physical enough to wear Iowa down and turn this into a rout if the offense can't get out of its own way. 

Iowa's defense steps up

At least Iowa can always hang its hat on the defense. Michigan had an opportunity to blow this one wide open early in the second quarter and got as far as Iowa's 49-yard line. But a holding penalty moved the Wolverines back over midfield and Hawkeyes defensive lineman Deontae Craig came through with a huge sack on third-and-12 to bring Michigan's drive to a grinding halt. Kaden Wetjen had a nice 24-yard return on the ensuing punt to set the Hawkeyes up near midfield, but an illegal block in the back moved Iowa all the way to its own 20-yard line. 

Michigan in driver's seat

End 1Q: No. 2 Michigan 10, No. 16 Iowa 0

A 10-point lead might just be enough for Michigan in this game. The Wolverines scored a field goal on their opening drive, converting on a fourth-and-7 in Iowa territory in the process, and then hit on an 87-yard punt return to set up a short Blake Corum rushing touchdown with just over a minute to play. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy had an efficient if unspectacular first quarter, going 6 of 7 for 41 yards, including a 10-yard connection with Cornelius Johnson on that fourth-down conversion. 

Iowa's offense has struggled so far. The Hawkeyes have yet to cross into Michigan territory, though they did end the first frame with a conversion on third-and-1. Quarterback Deacon Hill has not completed a pass across the line of scrimmage yet and the Hawkeyes finished the first 15 minutes with just 7 net passing yards. 

Special teams help Michigan extend lead

Iowa's special teams are widely regarded as one of the best overall units in the nation, but it's Michigan that came to play in that regard. In a game that's seen both teams strain for yardage, Wolverines punt returner Semaj Morgan just provided the most explosive play of the game. The freshman wide receiver took a Tory Taylor punt 87 yards to Iowa's 5-yard line before he was just pushed out of bounds. Wolverines running back Blake Corum scored a short touchdown a couple plays later to give Michigan a 10-0 first quarter lead. Morgan's return is the longest in Big Ten Championship Game history. 

Michigan OL suffers another blow

Michigan offensive lineman Drake Nugent left Saturday's title game with an injury. This comes as the Wolverines are already down arguably their best lineman in Zak Zinter, who broke his leg in the regular-season finale against Ohio State. Nugent remained on the field after a Blake Corum run on third-and-2. Nugent was also listed on Michigan's pre-game injury report, though he started for Michigan's offense on its first drive. 

The good news for the Wolverines is that they were able to hit a field goal one play after Nugent went down to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. But Nugent's status moving forward will be key given his experience with and command of the center position. 

Jim Harbaugh rolling the dice early

Harbaugh is looking to make a statement in his first game back from suspension. Facing a fourth-and-7 on its opening drive, Michigan opted to go for it. Harbaugh elected to roll the dice, and it worked as quarterback J.J. McCarthy hit Cornelius Johnson for a gain of 10 yards. 

Hawkeyes set to get things started

Michigan won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, meaning Iowa will receive the opening kickoff. Offense has been a struggle for the Hawkeyes all year long, and injuries haven't helped, so they would love to get some sort of momentum going on that side of the ball and set the tone early. At the very least, sustain a drive and keep the ball out of Michigan's hands. 

Iowa has fans all around the country

Though this game could be as simple as Michigan winning and locking down the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, there are likely tons of fans around the country pulling for an Iowa win. Alabama beat top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, putting the Bulldogs on the outside looking in for the first time since 2020. Georgia would need both the Wolverines and Florida State -- which is playing Louisville in the ACC Championship Game -- to lose to have a shot at making the final four. Both Texas and Alabama need at least one of those teams to lose to feel 100% comfortable about their playoff outlook, though at least one of those teams is going to make the cut regardless. 

Iowa bar offering free drinks until Hawkeyes score

To add to the stakes of tonight's game, X-Golf in Cedar Rapids is offering a promotion for fans who book bay times right in time for kickoff at 7:00 p.m. CT. Draft beers will be on the house until Iowa scores, the game ends, or the purchased bay time expires. So Hawkeyes fans could end up having a great night no matter what happens on the field. 

Major College Football Playoff implications

For Michigan, at least. All the Wolverines have to do is win and they are in -- likely with no worse than the No. 2 seed -- for a third straight year. A loss, obviously, would eliminate them from contention. Iowa can't make it in with a loss but it can secure a spot in a prominent New Year's Six bowl matchup. It will be a very tall task for the Hawkeyes. Michigan is no stranger to success in the Big Ten Championship Games. The Wolverines have won the last two titles by a combined score of 85-25, with both victories propelling them into the playoff field. 

Here's more on playoff scenarios to monitor this weekend from Jerry Palm: 

The return of Harbaugh 

This marks the first time since Michigan's win against Purdue almost a month ago that coach Jim Harbaugh will be back on the sidelines. He missed the Wolverines' last three games of the season while serving a suspension handed down from the Big Ten amid the NCAA's investigation into an alleged sign-stealing operation. Interim coach Sherrone Moore did a great job of guiding the Wolverines to an undefeated finish, including crucial wins against Penn State and Ohio State, in Harbaugh's absence. This isn't a total return for Harbaugh, though, as he was still allowed to run practice and other football related activities outside of actual gamedays. 

Punters matter 

One area where Iowa has a discernible advantage is on special teams. A lot of that is due to star punter Tory Taylor who is -- with complete sincerity -- one of the best players in college football. He's a Ray Guy Award finalist and is averaging 47.67 yards per punt. He's punted 79 times, which leads the FBS, 29 of which have landed inside the opponent's 20-yard line.  

In the words of CBS Sports' own Barrett Sallee: "The Hawkeyes defense has been fantastic all season but will face a big challenge against a Wolverines offense that is founded on a physical rushing attack led by running back Blake Corum. This one will likely be a field-position game, which means Hawkeyes punter Tory Taylor might be the most important player on the field."

Points may come at a premium 

I'm not going to mess with the spread. First of all, while anything is possible, I don't see Iowa shocking the world here. I just don't know how the Hawkeyes will score points. While they've had success against the Big Ten West, this is still the same team that lost to Penn State 31-0 this year. And the Hawkeyes were much healthier then. Michigan is Penn State on steroids. The question is, how motivated will the Wolverines be to run up the score? They have no need. Win and they go to the playoff. Outside of getting Blake Corum a couple touchdowns, I don't see why Michigan will risk anything in the second half if it has a lead it feels comfortable protecting. Pick: Under 35

No. 2 Michigan is aiming for its third straight conference title as it takes on No. 16 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Wolverines clinched the Big Ten East title with a 30-24 win against arch-rival Ohio State to put a bow on their second consecutive 12-0 regular season. They did so without coach Jim Harbaugh, who served a three-game suspension to end the year as a result of the Big Ten's investigation into Michigan's alleged sign-stealing operation. Harbaugh will be back patrolling the sidelines for the Big Ten title game. 

Iowa has overcome its fair share of adversity to reach Indianapolis for the second time in three years. The Hawkeyes have had to deal with a litany of season-ending injuries -- starting quarterback Cade McNamara, leading receiver Erick All, projected NFL Draft first-round defensive back Cooper DeJean (just to name a few) -- and have played under an offensive coordinator in Brian Ferentz that won't be back next season. Despite all that, they finished the year 10-2 and won the Big Ten West by a comfortable margin thanks to an excellent-as-ever defense and strong special teams play. 

Since the Big Ten went to its current divisional alignment, the Big Ten East is a perfect 9-0 in the championship game. Michigan beat Iowa 42-3 in the 2021 Big Ten Championship Game to secure its first College Football Playoff berth in program history. Maybe the Hawkeyes can put up more of a fight this go around.