Fun Facts: Iowa-Michigan State, Championship Edition

Indianapolis in December.

Ordinarily, that wouldn't sound particularly glamorous. But for the football teams of Iowa and Michigan State, there's nowhere else they'd rather be this weekend.

So let's have some Fun Facts.

1. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz (2002, 2004) and Michigan State Coach Mark Dantonio (2010, 2013) have won two Big Ten championships apiece.

2. This will be Iowa's first game indoors since it beat Minnesota 55-0 in 2008 in the Gophers' final home game at the Metrodome.

3. Iowa and Michigan State have been intercepted the fewest times of all Big Ten teams (3 and 5, respectively) and lead the conference in interceptions (Iowa has 17, MSU 14).

4. Michigan State didn't allow a quarterback sack to Penn State last Saturday though the Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in sacks with 44.

5. Iowa averages 33.7 points, Michigan State 33.4. The Spartans have 54 touchdowns, the Hawkeyes 53.

6. Michigan State has won six of its last seven games against teams ranked in the AP Top Ten.

7. The Hawkeyes allow an average of just 18.7 rushing yards in fourth-quarters.

8. MSU co-defensive coordinator Mike Tressel was a four-year starter at defensive back for Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and got a bachelor's degree in mathematics at the school in 1996. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is his uncle.

9. The only quarterbacks in Power 5 conferences since 2010 who won their first 13 starts were two Heisman Trophy-winners (Cam Newton of Auburn, Jameis Winston of Florida State) and C.J. Beathard of Iowa.

10. Michigan State had just one 10-win year in its history before Mark Dantonio became head coach. The Spartans have won 11-plus games five times in the last six years under Dantonio.

11. Iowa cornerback Desmond King remains tied with Northern Illinois' Shawun Lurry for the most interceptions in FBS with eight though King has gone the last three games without a pick.

12. In a preseason poll of 40 sports reporters conducted by Cleveland.com, no one picked either Iowa or Michigan State to win its division. Ohio State was the unanimous pick in the East, while 32 voters chose Wisconsin, five picked Nebraska, and three took Minnesota in the West.

13. Iowa's only previous December game that wasn't a bowl was its 17-6 win at Hawaii in 1984.

14. When Michigan State has been involved (twice), the average margin of victory in Big Ten championship games was 6.5 points. When the Spartans weren't involved (twice), the average margin of victory was 49 points.

15. Clemson and Iowa are the only unbeaten FBS teams. They have never met in football.

16. Iowa won the Big Ten men's basketball tournament in Indianapolis in 2006. The Hawkeyes lost their NCAA men's basketball semifinal and consolation games in Indianapolis in 1980.

17. Gus Johnson, who is doing the play-by-play for Fox's telecast of the game, is a Michigan native. He attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy. 'Not only was it strict,' Johnson said, 'but if you got out of line, you could catch a left hook.'

18. Johnson didn't go to college in Michigan, instead attending Howard University with a degree in political science. He was on Howard's baseball team.

19. If you're in Indianapolis Saturday night and have no interest in the football game, you can see the Quad City Mallards play the Indy Fuel in an ECHL pro hockey game at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

20. More importantly, The World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail-Eating Championship will be held in downtown Indianapolis Saturday afternoon.