– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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INDIANAPOLIS — Their inexorable march through an overmatched opponent complete, the Michigan Wolverines not only savored another conference championship but also claimed a spot that they hope they’ll hold on to by this time one month later: No. 1 football team in the land.
Oh, and Michigan fans were able to vociferously express their appreciation for their head coach, and their disdain at the man who decided to keep that head coach off the sidelines for the team’s most important junction of the regular season, en masse.
Running back Blake Corum continued his streak of scoring in every game this season, plunging in from two yards out late in the first quarter as No. 2 Michigan throttled Iowa 26-0 inside Lucas Oil Stadium to win their third consecutive Big Ten Championship. Combined with No. 1 Georgia losing to Alabama earlier today in the SEC Championship, the victory by the Wolverines should allow them to claim the No. 1 overall ranking in the polls and when the final College Football Playoff poll is released on Sunday afternoon.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh returned to the Michigan sidelines after serving a three-game suspension administered by Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti for the sign-stealing scheme that led to the resignation of former staffer Connor Stallions. Harbaugh and Petitti were both at the podium for the trophy presentation, with the latter receiving a chorus of boos when introduced to the crowd.
Those hard feelings soon made way for the joy of the Wolverines receiving the championship trophy, especially when it was lifted by all-Big Ten offensive lineman Zak Zinter, who was in crutches after suffering a broken leg in the regular-season finale against Ohio State.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday evening’s game, with all photos taken by Detroit-area photographer Aaron J. Thornton. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 21 pictures in total.
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