The 2019 Championship Game will be the ninth in the Big Ten's 124-year history and the sixth to feature the conference's East and West alignment. East division champion Ohio State won the 2018 game over West division champion Northwestern by a score of 45–24. It was Ohio State's third consecutive and fourth overall victory in the Championship Game.
Teams
Ohio State and Wisconsin faced each other in the Big Ten Championship Game for the third time. Ohio State won each of the last two championship games between the two schools, in 2014 and 2017. The Buckeyes and Badgers also met during the 2019 regular season, where Ohio State won by a score of 38–7 in Columbus, Ohio.
Ohio State
secured their place in the Championship Game by winning the East Division with an undefeated 12–0 regular season record. This was Ohio State's fifth appearance in the Championship Game, and third consecutive. They were the two-time reigning conference champions. The Buckeyes were ranked first in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the game.
Wisconsin
finished the regular season at 10–2, tied atop the West Division with Minnesota. The Badgers defeated their rivals, the Golden Gophers, in the final game of the regular season to earn their way to the Championship Game on the head-to-head tiebreaker. This is Wisconsin's sixth appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Game summary
Statistics
Wisconsin received the opening kickoff and completed an 83-yard drive, ending with a 44-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Taylor to take the early lead. Ohio State's opening drive resulted in a turnover on downs at the Wisconsin 34 yard line. Early in the second quarter, Wisconsin scored again via a 14-yard run by quarterback Jack Coan. The Buckeyes got on the board with 42 seconds remaining in the half via a two-yard run by J. K. Dobbins. Wisconsin was able to rattle off another touchdown drive in the final seconds thanks to a 45-yard run by Jonathan Taylor and a 24-yard pass from Coan to Quintez Cephus, and scored with a one-yard run by Coan to take a 21–7 lead into half-time. Ohio State received the ball first in the second half and scored via a 16-yard pass from Justin Fields to Jeremy Ruckert. After a muffed punt snap by Wisconsin on their own 16 yard line, Ohio State converted a 27-yard field goal to cut Wisconsin's lead to 21–17. Wisconsin kicker Zach Hintze missed a 48-yard field goal attempt on the following drive. Ohio State then took the lead late in the third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Fields to K. J. Hill. Ohio State scored once again early in the fourth quarter with another connection between Fields and Hill, this time from 13 yards out. The Buckeye defense continued to hold the Badger offense from moving the ball, and on the next possession Ohio State kicked a 24-yard field goal that made the score 34–21 with 4:39 remaining, which held until the end of the game. With the win, Ohio State won their third consecutive Big Ten championship game, and 38th overall Big Ten title. The Buckeyes became the first team to ever win ten conference games in a single season, the Conference Championship Game being the tenth win. Quarterback Justin Fields passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns, and was named game MVP.
Aftermath
Ohio State, who had been ranked first in the College Football Playoff rankings heading into the game, dropped to number two behind LSU in the final rankings. LSU beat then-No. 4 Georgia 37–10 in the SEC Championship Game on the same day. As a result, Ohio State received a bid to the national semifinal against third-seeded Clemson to be played at the Fiesta Bowl. Wisconsin stayed at number eight in the CFP rankings and received a bid to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes lost to Clemson, 29–23; and the Badgers lost to Oregon, 28–27.
