It's been a memorable season in the Big Ten, and it culminates with a de facto national quarterfinal game between the Michigan State Spartans and Iowa Hawkeyes.College football fans outside of Iowa seem to be waiting for the Hawkeyes to come back down to earth, but they're running out of time.While it's certainly fair to criticize Iowa's schedule, they have the respect of the College Football Playoff committee, and that's all that matters. If Iowa proves itself against Michigan State, it's on to the playoffs.What's at Stake'Technically, nothing is guaranteed to the winner of this game, but based on each team's placement in the top five of the most recent CFP ranking, it's safe to assume the winner will be among the top four at season's end.For the winner, all that matters is coming out on top. But the loser can also help itself by keeping the game competitive.Since the Big Ten champion is likely headed to the playoff, the Rose Bowl will have the ability to select a replacement team to represent the conference.The Ohio State Buckeyes, given their 11-1 record and massive fanbase, are an attractive option. As a result, the loser of the Big Ten title game may need a strong showing in order to convince the Rose Bowl to reject the Buckeyes.But as Kirk Herbstreit points out, Buckeyes head coachUrban Meyer in the Rose Bowl may be too good to pass up, regardless of the Michigan State/Iowa outcome:If Ohio State misses out on the playoff they will be in the Rose Bowl. Urban has never been--be great scene. https://t.co/g2A3AeaQrQ Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 30, 2015Injury UpdateBoth teams have been remarkably healthy in recent weeks and, at least entering the game, injuries do not appear to be a factor in this matchup.Michigan State fullback Trevon Pendleton suffered a leg injury last week against the Penn State Nittany Lions and finished the game on the sideline on crutches, according to Chris Solari of the Lansing State Journal.The loss of Pendleton could have an impact on the Spartans running game, but as Mike Wilson of SpartanTailgate.com notes, head coach Mark Dantonio believes he will be available:Dantonio said he doesn't think Trevon Pendleton's injury will "alter next week." Mike Wilson (@MikeWilson247) November 29, 2015Championship PreviewThe outcome of this game may simply boil down to whether Iowa can run the ball against Michigan State.Led by Jordan Canzeri and LeShun Daniels Jr., the Hawkeyes rushing attack has carried the offense all season. When it's able to move the ball on the ground, the offense is as potent as any in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, that hasn't always been the case.On one end of the spectrum, there's the Hawkeyes' 294-yard outburst against the Northwestern Wildcats, which helped carry them to a 40-10 victoryfar and away Iowa's most impressive win of the season.However, the Iowa running game was also contained by the Pittsburgh Panthers and Wisconsin Badgersthe Hawkeyes averaged under four yards per carry in each gameand Iowa won each by less than a touchdown.Michigan State's front seven certainly has the ability to contain Iowa, as it proved with a dominant performance against Ohio State in which Ezekiel Elliott was held to just 33 yards on the ground.But the Michigan State defense has also been inconsistent.Purdue freshman running back Markell Jones gutted the Spartans for 157 yards on 22 carries, an average of over seven yards per attempt.Other runners such as Penn State's Saquon Barkley and Indiana's Jordan Howard have also averaged at least six yards per rush against the Spartans defense this season.As for the Spartans offense, it's difficult to predict how quarterback Connor Cook will fare against the untested Hawkeyes pass defense.Iowa currently ranks 19th in the nation, giving up just 6.1 passing yards per attempt this season, but that number is likely skewed by the competition the Hawkeyes have faced.Based on ESPN's Total QBR metric, the highest-rated quarterbacks Iowa has faced are Indiana's Nate Sudfeld and Nebraska's Tommy Armstrong. While both have had nice careers in the Big Ten, neither matches Cook's talent.Final ThoughtsIt hasn't always been smooth sailing for Michigan State this season, but behind the leadership of Dantonio, one of the best game-day coaches in the nation, the Spartans have played their best football on the biggest stages.Iowa has the running game and the defense to keep it competitive, but the Spartans ultimately will prevail due to their experience in these types of games.Prediction: Michigan State 27, Iowa 17All stats courtesy ofSports-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted. Follow Ryan McCrystal on Twitter for more NFL and college football analysis.Follow @Ryan_McCrystal
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