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Random Thoughts By Rick Klatt E arlier this fall we talked trends and agreed to go back and review at the end of the regular season. Trend No. 1: Defense still wins ball games. When the gun sounded to mark the end of its regular season, each of the top eight teams in the Big Ten in scoring defense had won seven or more games. On the flipside, the best the bottom four could do was five wins. Upon closer review, Michigan State led the Big Ten in scoring defense during the regular season and rode that identity to the Big Ten's championship game and, presumably, an invitation to a Bowl Championship Series game. Iowa — one of only three Big Ten teams to allow fewer than 20 points a game — is going bowling for the 10th time in 12 years thanks in great measure to its defense. Even in this day and age of scoreboard-shattering offenses, the defensive guys still have a say in a big way particularly in the greatest intercollegiate athletics conference in the land. Trend No. 2: Penalties are killers….for most teams. Iowa ranked fourth in the Big Ten at regular season's end with 34.6 yards per penalties per game. Penn State — an over-achiever in most everyone's book with seven victories — led the league with an average of just 33.6 yards in penalties per game. The outliers? Interestingly, it was the two teams that will square off in Indianapolis. Michigan State ranked 12th with an average of 54.2 yards of penalties per game; Ohio State ranked ninth at 43 yards per game. What does that tell you? It's evidence that teams with superior talent can overcome penalties…but that's living life on the edge, and most head football coaches would prefer not to do that. Trend No. 3: Taking care of the ball is always a good thing. The Hawkeyes were one of seven league teams to have a positive turnover margin at the end of the Big Ten regular season. The Hawkeyes finished at plus-1. Six of those seven teams are going to a bowl game — Northwestern, at plus-3, is not. Which team is going bowling in spite of a negative turnover margin? Nebraska, which ranks last in the category at minus-12. I asked Hayden once during an Iowa-Wisconsin game week what the key to his team's success over the Badgers. He said two things: First, sometimes it's as simple as one team's base approach to offense and defense consistently works against the opponent's base offensive and defensive philosophies. Then he noted, it doesn't hurt to have talented and smart quarterbacks. Now that the regular season and eight victories are behind us, it's safe to say that Hayden would have liked to have Jake Rudock running his offense. The guy appears "rattle-proof." I'm thrilled for our league that all eyes will be on Indianapolis on Saturday night. I think it's going to be a great game. Actually, it's the classic gridiron quandary that only gets answered by playing the game: Which will prevail, the prolific offense or the iron curtain-like defense? I'm thrilled for our league that the Big Ten might have a representative in the national championship game. It would be fun to be settling in to watch the final game of the football season and see a familiar helmet on the playing field. Kind of sitting down for the Final Four and seeing a familiar face or two. During the nonconference season and during the postseason, for me, it's all about the Big Ten having success. As one of my previous bosses used to say, "That's the scenario in which all the boats rise." I'm also thrilled for our league that several "experts" across the land are suggesting the Big Ten could have a representative in the national championship game and the Rose Bowl. Paired with a victory by the good guys in black and gold, that would simply make for a perfect Jan. 1. The Rose Bowl just isn't the Rose Bowl if a Pac-12 team isn't lining up against a Big Ten team late in the afternoon on New Year's Day. If you haven't found your way to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a men's basketball game and a women's basketball game, please take my advice and do so. You will be glad you did. Both Fran's and Lisa's teams are playing great basketball. Like many, I'm fascinated by the continued improvement of Gabe Olaseni. He has come so far so fast, and even someone as uneducated on the nitty-gritty of the game can see that there's still huge upside for the 7-footer. On the women's side, Samantha Logic has always been worth the price of admission, but I would recommend you also pay close attention to freshman Ally Disterhoft. Win. Graduate. Do it Right. Let's take a minute and zero in on Iowa football. In the "Win" category, eight wins with a chance for nine works for me. In the "Graduate" category, Kirk's squad scored an 81 on the NCAA's most recent "Graduation Success Rate" scoreboard which was 11 points better than the national average, so I think we're good there. With respect to "Do it Right," I'm sure there are many others, but I'll point to senior linebacker James Morris. If you're a finalist in the race for college football's premiere student-athlete award — the National Football Foundation's Campbell Trophy — you clearly are "Doing it Right." 33