Game-By-Frame: B1G Championship

The marching band plays “The Victors,” a sea of fans in maize and blue, the biggest stage in Big Ten football. 

I couldn’t have imagined a better way to end my career as a photographer for The Michigan Daily by covering the Big Ten Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

As someone who doesn’t fully appreciate memorable moments in life until I have time to reflect on them, the game felt like any other football game I’ve covered for The Daily. It wasn’t until after the clock hit zero and Jim Harbaugh hoisted the Amos Alonzo Stagg Championship Trophy in the air that I realized just how special that experience was and how lucky I was to be there to capture the whole thing. 

The dynamic playmaking, the roar of the crowd, the impeccable defense and the all-around play of the team was a gift to watch. To be able to witness it first-hand, on the sideline and to document such a historic moment was one of the highlights of my experience at Michigan.

My favorite moments from the game have to be when Harbaugh embraced multiple members of his team, including offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and his two star defensive ends Aiden Hutchinson and David Ojabo.

Their emotions were so pure, you could practically feel them. Sighs of relief, pride, happiness, and an overwhelming amount of “in your face” to the rest of the country who counted this team out just a few months ago. 

– Miles Macklin, Senior Audience Engagement Photo Editor 

The electric atmosphere in Lucas Oil Stadium as fans sang along to the marching band’s rendition of “The Victors” was so powerful that I had to set my camera down, just for a few seconds, to really appreciate where I was and what I was doing. After its recent win against Ohio State, Michigan ran out onto that field with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. 

There was a moment at some point during the fourth quarter when the team and coaches knew they were about to become Big Ten Champions. There was an exciting buzz on the bench, with players huddling around each other and jumping up and down, unable to contain their excitement as they solidified their win. 

As the fourth quarter clock ticked down, Michigan fans filled the stadium with an acapella rendition of “Mr. Brightside.” Players dumped a bucket of Gatorade over Jim Harbaugh and stormed the field where they were greeted with confetti and thousands of fans chanting: “It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine.” Looking around the stadium, that much, at least, seemed obvious.

– Becca Mahon, Senior Statement Photo Editor