Both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Stanford Cardinal will want to reflect back on what could've been with the 2015 season. Both teams were right on the verge of the College Football Playoff but tripped up one too many times to seal the deal. Alas, a trip to the Rose Bowl isn't a bad consolation for either in what might be the best of the New Year's Six games outside of the playoff.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Iowa Hawkeyes +7
Stanford Cardinal -7
Over/Under 55.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The line on the Rose Bowl hasn't changed a lot in the first few days of action. The Hawkeyes opened at +7 but quickly moved to +6.5, and that's where they've stood since that point. The total of 55.5 almost feels a little high considering how much these two teams love to run the football, so don't be shocked if that number drops a tad between now and New Year's Day.
2015 IN REVIEW - IOWA
The Hawkeyes were magical this season. They were one of the two teams in the land to hold a spotless record through 12 games, the other of which is 13-0 Clemson. Iowa wasn't given a lot of a shot in the Big Ten Championship Game against Michigan State, but it held its own for sure, coming up just one or two defensive plays short on the goal line from winning the Big Ten and going to the playoff with a 13-0 record.
Still, there's a question about just how well equipped Iowa is to play against a big boy team. The Hawkeyes struggled against the likes of Pitt, Wisconsin, Indiana, Minnesota and Nebraska this year, all of which were one-score games. They're gritty for sure, and they tend to win games on defense, though obviously, the Big Ten Championship Game was the one time this Top 25 defense fell short in the clutch.
2015 IN REVIEW - STANFORD
The Cardinal lost to Northwestern in Week 1 of the season. We thought at the time that was going to be a devastating defeat, but when push came to shove, the Wildcats weren't far from a bid in the New Year's Six after a 10-win season. It wasn't the Northwestern loss that kept Stanford out of the playoff, though. It was that loss at home to Oregon on October 14.
Still, Stanford holds two wins over USC and wins over Arizona, UCLA, Washington State, Cal and Notre Dame, and few teams can boast having such a resume.
BOWL HISTORY – IOWA
The measure of success for Big Ten and Pac-12 teams is their history in the Rose Bowl. Iowa hasn't been to Pasadena since 1990 and hasn't won the Granddaddy of Them All since way back in 1958, so just the opportunity to be here is of paramount importance.
Iowa has lost three straight bowl games, most recently getting slammed two years ago by Tennessee 45-28 in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
BOWL HISTORY – STANFORD
The Cardinal first played in the Rose Bowl way back in 1901, and they've been to the big one 14 more times. However, there was a really long lull between the 1971 Rose Bowl and the next time Stanford was here in 1999. This though, is three trips to the Rose Bowl in four years for David Shaw's bunch.
The Cardinal won the Rose Bowl by beating Wisconsin 20-14 in 2012, but they were beaten by Michigan State the next season 24-20.
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The duel between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Stanford Cardinal will go down Friday, January 1, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The Rose Bowl will be televised live on ESPN.
