By the numbers: Michigan seeking third-straight outright Big Ten championship for first time ever

Michigan Wolverines football is 12-0 and ready to defend its back-to-back Big Ten championships against Iowa Saturday night in Indianapolis.

With a 30-24 victory last weekend, the Maize and Blue have won three straight over Ohio State for the first time since 1995-97. The end of that three-year stretch ended in a national championship, of course, with the Wolverines topping Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

If Michigan wins Saturday, it’ll be the program’s first-ever occurrence of three outright Big Ten titles in a row. Before the Big Ten championship game began being played in 2011, teams who tied atop the conference shared the championship. Including ties, the last time Michigan won three-consecutive Big Ten titles was a five-year stretch from 1988-92. Other three-plus year windows came from 1976-78, 1971-74, 1930-33 and 1901-04.

Michigan hadn’t earned a berth to the Big Ten championship game until 2021, going 10 years without one. Now, the Maize and Blue will compete in three-straight, joining Ohio State (four in a row from 2017-20) in doing so.

Since the Big Ten split the league into two divisions, East and West, the East has won all nine titles. The East has beaten the West by a total margin of 326-145, or an average margin of 20.1 points per game.

From 2011-13, the Legends and Leaders faced off. Starting in 2024, when USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington join the Big Ten, divisions will dissipate and the top two teams will square off in the championship game. The College Football Playoff will also expand from four to 12 teams next season.

With a win, Michigan would hit the 13-win mark for just the second time in program history, joining the 13-1 2022 campaign. The Wolverines have won 12 games for only the fifth time. With a Big Ten title and national championship still out there to capture this season, the Wolverines could finish the year without a loss for the first time since 1997 and just the second time since 1948.

By the numbers: Michigan vs. Iowa

0.83 Interceptions per game for the Iowa offense, with 10 through 12 outings. That’s the lowest for the Hawkeyes since 2016 (0.69). They had averaged more than 1 pick per game in each of the previous three seasons. Iowa has returned 1 interception for a touchdown this year.

2 Broyles Award finalists (nation’s top assistant coach) will face off on Saturday — Michigan offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore and Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker.

3 100-yard games for Iowa running back Leshon Williams against Nebraska (111), Wisconsin (174) and Western Michigan (145). He’s rushed 155 times for 779 yards and a touchdown this season, averaging 5 yards per carry. Iowa is a run-heavy team, with 35.5 rushes to 24.3 pass attempts per game.

3 Touchdowns allowed for the Iowa defense over the last 24 quarters of play.

3rd Big Ten championship game appearance for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Their other two came in 2015 (loss to Michigan State, 16-13) and 2021 (loss to Michigan, 42-3).

6 Iowa games have been decided by one possession, including the last two — wins over Illinois (15-13) and Nebraska (13-10). The Hawkeyes had clinched the Big Ten West following the victory over the Fighting Illini.

6-Straight Iowa games have had a Vegas over/under of 34 or fewer total points scored, and the under has hit in all of them. In that stretch, both teams have combined for 21, 22, 17, 22, 28 and 23 points. Michigan is a 24-point favorite over Iowa with the over/under set at 35 points. Iowa’s team total over/under is 7.5 points.

12.2 Points allowed per game for the Iowa defense, which ranks fourth in the country. Michigan leads the nation with 10.3.

14th Of October was the last time Iowa tight end and former Michigan standout Erick All played in a game before tearing his ACL, but he still leads the Hawkeyes with 299 receiving yards. Fellow tight end Luke Lachey hasn’t played since Sept. 16, appearing in only three games, but still ranks sixth on the team with 131 receiving yards. All is one of two former Michigan players now on the Iowa roster, with quarterback Cade McNamara (also out for season with injury) being the other.

18-12.2 In favor of the Hawkeyes is the average score of an Iowa game this season.

22 Touchdowns scored on the season for Iowa — 37 fewer than Michigan’s 59.

36 Pressures for Iowa defensive end Joe Evans, the third-most among Big Ten edge rushers. For comparison, Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart and Jaylen Harrell lead the Wolverines with 23.

48.6 Completion percentage for Iowa quarterback Deacon Hill, the second-lowest in the Big Ten, ahead of only Rutgers’ Gavin Wimsatt (47.8). His 4.9 yards per attempt are the lowest in the league. He’s thrown 5 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. Six percent of his passes are ‘turnover-worthy plays,’ according to PFF, the seventh-highest rate in the country among those with 200-plus dropbacks.

141 Total tackles for Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins, which leads the Power Five and ranks second in the FBS behind Old Dominion’s Jason Henderson.