The BIG Ten Championship is a MUST win for this Michigan football team.

Just like J.J. McCarthy said last Saturday that the “Job’s not done.” and that includes today.

Michigan is heading into the BIG Ten Championship game looking to win BACK to BACK conference championships for the first time since the 2003 and 2004 season. After coming off of one of the biggest wins in program history, defeating Ohio State in the horseshoe 45-23, all week everyone has talked about Michigan being contenders to win the National Championship.

But, it seems the conversations have been more about if Michigan can compete with Georgia rather than talking about the game tonight vs. Purdue in the BIG Ten Championship game. Yes, maybe even with a loss, this Michigan team will still get into the College Football Playoffs. But there are a few factors on how a loss today can affect this team heading into the College Football Playoffs.

Michigan building off the confidence

The last thing Michigan wants to do before heading into a CFP that could potentially consist of Georgia, Ohio State, and TCU is to head into it with a loss under their belt. All season long, Michigan has been building this team in order to compete for the National Championship and to peak in January. Throughout the whole season, you are looking to clean up all the loose ends on your team all for the push at the end of the season, and they have done that up to now.

Coming off of the performance vs. Ohio State, this Michigan team seems to be firing on all cylinders and ready to compete. But, they still need to build on that confidence heading into their game vs. Purdue tonight. If you lose this game vs. Purdue now there is a question in the air on how good this team is and that kills all the confidence you built from the game vs. Ohio State.

Blake Corum out for the Season

Announced earlier this week, Blake Corum had season ending knee surgery. The Heisman candidate tweeted out earlier today that his surgery went well and he will not be in Indy for the game tonight. With Corum out, he wasn’t just a Heisman candidate for this team, but the heart of this team.

Michigan proved last Saturday that they can indeed get the job done with out him in the backfield and with Donovan Edwards now. The whole world saw Donovan Edwards and J.J. McCarthy put on a show in the biggest game of the year. I will say what we were all thinking, that was just one game. We want to see Donovan and J.J. do the same thing today vs. Purdue to show that they can actually get this job done.

Those two guys have one more game before the CFP to build confidence and to get used to a new RB1 in the backfield. It’s time to turn the page in the Blake Corum era and to start the Donovan Edwards era, and to start it quick.

Time off Until CFP

There are over 28 days in between the BIG Ten Championship game and the first game of the College Football Playoffs. Last season, it felt like months before we got to see Michigan take the field vs. Georgia. Through that time, everyone was talking about how great Georgia was and every Michigan player had to watch that for a month. Imagine preparing for a game for a month, while the whole country is talking about how great Georgia’s defense is and how great their team is. That can make you think.

This year, they can flip that narrative. They can head into this long break, with the media talking about how GREAT their team is and how scary this defense is. If you win, and dominate, everyone in the country will be talking about this Michigan team for a month.

The last thing you want to do is head into a 28 day break with a loss.

Michigan taking over the BIG Ten

All we have heard the last decade was how Ohio State has dominated the BIG Ten, and no other team has even come close. After last weeks win vs. Ohio State, this is now an opportunity to turn the page on the Ohio State dominance.

After winning the BIG Ten last year, some of the first things you heard was that Michigan can’t win it again this season. Everyone thought it might have just been a one year deal. Questions on whether or not Jim Harbaugh really has re elevated this program to where they are suppose to be. With a win today, that officially confirms that everything from the last two years were not a fluke.

Back to Back BIG Ten Champions doesn’t just show up in the record books. But, it will start to change recruiting, players confidence in the building for years, and bring back the culture that Michigan Football is all about. Winning.

Win today, and Michigan is officially back and we all know College Football is a lot better with Michigan at the top.

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