Sometimes, we get so caught up in looking ahead that we don’t take the time to look back.

It’s been a banner year for Iowa and Michigan State, which is why both will be playing for the conference title in what is basically a national quarterfinal game. The lows have been few and far between for both programs. I mean, they are a combined 23-1.

Let’s take a look back at the elements that defined each of their regular seasons.

Most Pleasant Individual Surprise

Iowa: Desmond King

If you expected the Hawkeye cornerback to lead the nation in interceptions this year, take a bow. Or don’t, because you’re probably lying. King’s emergence has been huge for the Hawkeyes. The guy went from a solid defensive player to a Walter Camp Award finalist. As a unit, they give up their fair share of yardage, but King is a major reason why Iowa is +14 in turnover margin. And for what it’s worth, the Detroit native be playing against the same MSU team that couldn’t find a spot for him out of high school. Just saying.

Michigan State: Aaron Burbridge

One of MSU’s big question marks coming into the season was whether or not Connor Cook’s production would suffer without Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphery. Instead, Burbridge, who never had more than 50 yards in a regular season game before 2015, exploded. MSU’s bonafide No. 1 receiver was also the best receiver in the conference and earned first-team All-B1G honors. The matchup between he and King on Saturday will be one of the best we’ve had all year in the B1G.

Toughest Break

Iowa: Losing Drew Ott to a torn ACL

If there was one guy you thought Iowa couldn’t afford to lose on defense, it was Ott. The Hawkeye defensive end suffered a midseason ACL tear that could’ve derailed Iowa. But freshman Parker Hesse filled in admirably, Cole Fisher and Josey Jewell stepped up and by the end of the season, you forgot that this was still a unit playing without its best player.

Michigan State: Brandon Reilly’s out-of-bounds touchdown

Let’s just be honest. It shouldn’t have been a touchdown. Reilly wasn’t pushed out of bounds and there was no way to undo a judgment call. Had the catch been properly ruled incomplete, MSU would’ve been in favorable position to pull out a win and remain undefeated. At the time, it seemed like it ended Michigan State’s national title hopes in unfair fashion.

Luckiest In-Season Break

Iowa: Marshall Koehn’s second try field goal to beat Pitt

When the Iowa kicker booted his first attempt from 57 yards out, it wasn’t even close. But Pat Narduzzi had called a timeout just before Koehn attempted the game-winner. Whatever adjustment Koehn made worked because he drilled the next one to give Iowa a thrilling last-second win. Without that once-in-a-lifetime bomb, Iowa would’ve went to overtime and Pitt would’ve had all the momentum. But we’ll never know what could’ve happened in the extra frame thanks to Koehn/Narduzzi.

Michigan State: The Scoop-and-Score

Arguably the luckiest break in Michigan State history happened in improbable, stunning, epic fashion in Ann Arbor. All Michigan had to do was execute a punt, the same way it had countless times before. Instead, Blake O’Neill botched the snap, Jalen Watts-Jackson scooped and scored, and MSU was revived from the dead.

Flex Your Muscles Game

Iowa: Destroying Northwestern

Everyone seems to forget that Iowa beat No. 13 Northwestern by 30 on the road. And even more impressive was the fact that the Hawkeyes did their flexing with third-string running back Akrum Wadley running the show and C.J. Beathard basically limping his way to the bye week. If you still need convincing that Iowa has one of the best offensive lines in America, go back and watch what it did to a top-10 defense.

Michigan State: Destroying Penn State

Well, if there was ever a good time to do some flexing, it was with the B1G East on the line. Jack Allen, Demetrious Cox and Malik McDowell all got into the end zone for the Spartans in a complete thrashing of Penn State to close out the regular season. It sent a loud, clear message heading into the postseason.   

Highlight of the Year

Iowa: Finishing 12-0 at Nebraska

All week, the Hawkeyes had to hear about the fact that Nebraska was primed for an upset. It didn’t matter that Iowa was 11-0 taking on a five-win team. The game was viewed as basically a coin flip. But Iowa came out and controlled the game by following the same blueprint that few will give the Hawkeyes credit for. With Nebraska players, Iowa knocked off its rival and clinched the program’s first 12-0 mark in school history. For now, that’s the lasting image of Iowa’s 2015 story.

Michigan State: Knocking off Ohio State

If you doubted that Michigan State had a chip on its shoulder, your mind was changed after watching what it did to the defending champs. Without Connor Cook, the Spartans pulled off arguably the most impressive victory in college football this season. Even better, it ended with a dramatic last-second kick from Michael Geiger. You would’ve been hard-pressed to say that a team can have a more epic victory than the one that happened in Ann Arbor. But knocking off the overwhelming national title favorite on a last-second kick is about as good as it gets.