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Iowa and Stanford will meet for the first time in the 102nd Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Commonly known as “The Granddaddy of Them All,” due to the fact that it’s college football’s oldest bowl game, this contest has historically featured a clash of the Pac-12 and the Big Ten’s strongest teams. In recent years, it has been a mash-up of the traditional aforementioned battles, and teams from outside of those conferences placed in the game through the now-defunct Bowl Championship Series (BCS).

This year marks a return to the classic Pac-12-Big Ten matchup. Stanford comes in as the champions of the Pac-12 with a Heisman Trophy runner-up, Christian McCaffrey. Iowa enters the game with just one blemish on its record, a 16-13 defeat to Michigan State in the conference title game.

But this game lacks a certain buzz — and that’s because it’s a consolation match.

For both Iowa and Stanford, each team was a play or two from potentially making the College Football Playoff. For Stanford, a stronger fourth quarter against Oregon would have likely put the Cardinal into the playoff. In Iowa’s case, a goal line stand against Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game would probably have guaranteed the Hawkeyes a spot in the top four.

Both teams finished in the two spots just outside of the College Football Playoff. They both had phenomenal seasons.

It was a dream season for Iowa; the Hawkeyes looked like a team of destiny.

For Stanford, it was a year good enough to secure the Cardinal’s third trip to the Rose Bowl in four years. There were bigger aspirations during the season, yet David Shaw continues to  say all the right things about his team’s trip to Pasadena after falling short.

Disappointments aside, the game looks to be one of the best bowls.

Stanford will try to ride Christian McCaffrey, the new NCAA single-season record holder for all-purpose yards (rushing, receiving and return), while Iowa will feature an offense that rushed for 100 yards or more in every single game.

Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan was the second highest rated passer in the conference, while Iowa defensive back Desmond King had the second most interceptions in the nation with eight.

These two teams match up very well, and each play on an extremely high level. At this point, the only thing that will make this game feel like a consolation game is if the teams treat it like one.

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