The Iowa Hawkeyes will take on the Stanford Cardinal meet up on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl Game. The contest is scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPN. Currently the betting odds for the game have the Cardinal favored to pick up a victory in this historic game.
The Rose Bowl is arguably the most recognizable bowl game, this year the contest pits Stanford and Iowa on the field together for the first time. Hard to believe schools so rich in history have never met on the gridiron before this contest.
Iowa was unbeaten the entire season, but then suffered a loss to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game. Stanford won the Pac-12 this year themselves, the Cardinal knocked off USC by a comfortable margin to reach this contest. Both teams enter the game ranked in the Top 10, this is the first time Iowa is playing in the Rose Bowl since 1991.
Stanford is playing in its third rose bowl in four seasons, David Shaw’s team is physical and runs the football with the Heisman Trophy runner-up in Christian McCaffrey, who finished with 1,847 yards rushing and 540 yards receiving. McCaffrey set the NCAA record for all-purpose yards this season as a sophomore, Stanford will look to get the football to him as much as possible in this one.
Iowa has already set a school record with 12 wins; the Hawkeyes haven’t won a bowl game since 2010 in the Insight Bowl. Iowa hasn’t won a Rose Bowl since 1958.
The Hawkeye defense is a big key to this one — they have 25 takeaways the last 11 games overall. Stanford hasn’t turned it over in three games, however. Kevin Hogan has seven interceptions on the year, but in three straight wins for the Cardinal he’s thrown for six touchdowns.
Iowa just missed the playoffs, will the motivation factor still be there for them? Kirk Ferentz will have to come up big for his team here, keeping them focused could be difficult, but Iowa is a sound team on both ends of the field.
Free Pick: Iowa
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