For both this Iowa football team and the Stanford Cardinal, oh what might have been this year. Had the Hawkeyes closed the deal against the Spartans in Indianapolis…Had Stanford scheduled a nobody instead of visiting Northwestern in the opener….Well, what’s done is done.
No playoff for the once 12-0 Hawkeyes, or the Cardinal, Pac-12 in general. You can’t argue with a better consolation prize than this- the Grand Daddy of them all.
TV: ESPN January 1st, 4 pm CST
SPREAD: Iowa football are 6 1/2 point underdogs to the Stanford Cardinal
Commentators: Brent Musburger, Jesse Palmer and Maria Taylor will call the game on ESPN, with Eduardo Varela and Pablo Viruega on ESPN Deportes and Dave Pasch and Brian Griese on ESPN Radio
https://twitter.com/PaulMBanks/status/681588118810705921
This bowl season is truly testing the validity of a theory that’s been prevalent within the sport of college football for decades.
College football playoff obstructionists held this idea for many years- “a playoff would make the other bowls less interesting/meaningful/worthwhile.”
We’ll see about that. ESPN is certainly doing their part with an obnoxious, cannibalistic marketing strategy for the final four.
Yes, Bristol has really ramped up the over-bearing self-promotion and cross-promotion with the college football playoff (Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl) commercials. They are incessant, and they’re cannibalizing their own interests by doing this because ESPN also owns the broadcast rights to pretty much every other bowl game.
The WWL never shuts up about the playoff bowls. Once in a great while they hype up the New Year’s Six. They almost never mention any other bowl games. That’s a shame because this contest should be a good one.
But hey, we’re talking Rose Bowl, Iowa football fans.
#6 Stanford Preview:
Running back Christian McCaffery, the offspring of Easy Ed, the former Denver Broncos wide receiver, could have won the Heisman Trophy award if he played in a east coast market. Or on an SEC team. It’s all about perception, but he might just be the best player in the nation this season. Speaking of legacy devices at the tailback position, Barry Sanders’ kid is on the Cardinal too.
QB Kevin Hogan is seasoned and stellar. He’ll be looking to have a huge game in this his farewell.
Free Safety Kodi Whitfield is the best NFL prospect on the squad, but OL Joshua Garrett and Kyle Murphy are probably two of the better overall players on this Stanford football team.
Iowa Football Preview:
One of the most common gripes that Hawkeyes critics have is the old “I can’t even name three players on their team.” Well, I feel ya on that one. Before October, I really struggled to name any Iowa football player outside of Armand Tanzerian.
Oh wait, that’s the real life name of Principal/Sgt. Seymour Skinner on The Simpsons. I meant to say Jordan Canzeri. He made third team all conference while QB C.J. Beathard was second team All-Big Ten.
You already know those names, so let me edify you on some more.
On offense, you should also keep an eye on wide receiver Matt VandeBerg and offensive lineman Sean Welsh.
Flipping over to the defense, the team’s best overall player by far is Defensive back Desmond King, who took home league player of the year honors. Linebacker Josey Jewell was named second team all-conference while defensive end Nate Meier and safety Jordan Lomax were named to the third team.
Defensive players earning honorable mention recognition include senior linebacker Cole Fisher, junior defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, and sophomore outside linebacker Ben Niemann.
So there you go- we mentioned a whole plethora of Iowa football players, and now you have no excuse not to be able to name a few right off the top of your head.
Prediction: Iowa football 19, Stanford 17
The Big Ten has only won this game twice this millenium (after the ’09, ’13 seasons). It’s going to be three now as the Hawkeyes win a very physical, fast-moving throwback of a game.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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