Michigan State vs. Iowa: Score and Reaction from 2015 Big Ten Championship

The No. 5 Michigan State Spartans completed yet another remarkable comeback in Saturday’s 16-13 win over the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium and likely secured a spot in the College Football Playoff.

With his team trailing 13-9 with 27 seconds remaining, freshman running back LJ Scott scored from one yard out on 3rd-and-goal, extending his arm over the goal line as he was hit by five Iowa defenders.

The Big Ten Network shared video footage of the game-winning play from the instant classic:

The score capped a 22-play, 82-yard drive led by quarterback Connor Cook that chewed up 9:04, leaving little time for a potential Iowa comeback.

As Paul Myerberg of USA Today noted, of all Michigan State's incredible comebacks this year, Saturday’s final drive ranked as the most monumental:

It was a gut-wrenching finish for the Hawkeyes, who allowed a fourth-down conversion on a scamper by Cook just three plays prior to Scott's touchdown and had been remarkable on defense to that point.

The Hawkeyes allowed just one play longer than 20 yards and that came on the Spartans' first offensive drive, and held Cook without a passing touchdown for just the fourth time since becoming the full-time starter in 2013, a span of 37 games. 

Prior to Michigan State's final drive, Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard outplayed Cook, finishing 18-for-26 with 216 yards, a touchdown and an interception to Cook's line of 191 yards on 16-of-32 passes completed with an interception. 

The game featured two ties and five lead changes, and neither team reached the end zone until Beathard connected with Tevaun Smith for an 85-yard touchdown pass to open the fourth quarter.

The Big Ten Network shared a replay of the remarkable score:

College GameDay showed how limited the Hawkeyes offense was to that point:

Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reacted to how surprisingly uneventful the game was, given the many Big Ten thrillers that took place throughout the season:

The win in all likelihood secured a spot in the CFP for Michigan State. The Spartans will likely join No. 1 Clemson, which defeated No. 10 North Carolina 45-37 in the ACC Championship Game; No. 2 Alabama, which defeated No. 18 Florida 29-15 in the SEC Championship Game; and No. 3 Oklahoma, which won the Big 12 outright and didn’t play in a conference title game.

Postgame Reaction

Michigan State once again proved its poise in a high-stakes contest, which bodes well given it's likely headed for arguably the biggest games in program history.

Much of the Spartans' success on this monumental stage is credited to ninth-year head coach Mark Dantonio, whose remarkable record against formidable foes was highlighted by Mike Hall of the Big Ten Network:

Dantonio elaborated on his team’s resolve, per Big Ten Football:

The head coach also spoke at length with the Big Ten Network following the game:

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz also deserves a great deal of credit for falling just three points and 27 seconds shy of a playoff berth that no one could’ve envisioned prior to the season, as Wayne Drehs of ESPN tweeted earlier this week:

The Hawkeyes’ next matchup remains unclear. They could still play in the Rose Bowl as the Big Ten representative, but the game’s committee chairman, Scott Jenkins, indicated, per Heather Dinich of ESPN.com, it would select the conference’s highest-ranked team, which could be Ohio State when the final polls release Sunday.

Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, the 2015 season is the best in Iowa history. The Hawkeyes won a program-high 12 games and shocked the college football world with their remarkable run.