nerdnation23: Stanford has scored 30 or more in every game except for the Northwestern game this season. Stanford has never scored 30 points or more in their 14 appearances in the Rose Bowl with 27 being the most. This is the best offensive team Hogan has had in his three appearances and I think Stanford will be able to get four touchdowns and a field goal to win this game 31 to 20 and send Hogan off into the sunset.
Sean Levy: Both teams are going to want to come out and run the football. Whoever can win the battle in the trenches and wins the time of possession will most likely win this game. This game will be incredibly close and it makes it hard to chose who will come out on top. I predict Iowa will come out prepared against Stanford's defense, but on the last play of the game Hogan to McCaffrey will put the Cardinal up 24-21 with no time remaining.
TonyFernandesSports: This will be, in the immortal words of WWE Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross, an absolute "slobber knocker". Both teams like to control the clock with a smash mouth style. The biggest difference is that Stanford has been playing against high flying pass attacks recently, and will be chomping at the bit to take on an offense like Iowa. The Hawkeyes have a big, strong, and disciplined offensive line; but they had issues in the Big 10 championship game in protecting their QB. The Cardinal have a much better pass attack than the Hawkeyes can cover and I feel that Stanford's offense will wear down the Hawkeyes much like the Spartans did in the Big 10 title game. I strongly feel that this matchup better suits the Cardinal, and have two predictions: Kevin Hogan throws for 270 yards and 2 TDs in his final game under center; and the Cardinal win 38-24.
Matt Vassar: Stanford 31, Iowa 24. Stanford's offense is explosive, but Iowa's defense is stingy. Desmond King (currently #2 in the country for interceptions) will provide tight coverage in the secondary, while Iowa's linebackers will maintain continual pressure on Kevin Hogan, holding Stanford to a relatively low 31 points for this game. Thankfully, Iowa's offense--while good--isn't great, and should be enough for Stanford's young defense to contain. Put together, I see Kevin Hogan completing his final season right where he started his first season: with a Rose Bowl victory.
Comments
Iowa by 6.5
If you add/subtract the scores of their common opponent and common opponents of opponents, you get that.
Common opponent
Stanford Iowa vs Northwestern
6-16 (-10) 40-10 (+30)
Iowa +20
Common opponents of opponents
UCLA Nebraska
56-35 (21) 28-20 (8)
(NB beat UCLA 37-29) 8 +8 = (16)
Stanford +5
USC Wisconsin
41-31 10 10-6 +4
41-22 +19 (WI beat USC 23-21) 4 + 2 = (6)
Stanford +14.5 (avg of 2 games) – 6 = 8.5
iowa = 20
Stanford = 5 + 8.5 = 13.5
Iowa by 6.5
I realize this is hard to read. Sorry, I’m way too lazy to properly format it.
Also, I take no responsibility for the accuracy of this "prediction." And it’s possible I missed a relevant opponent. And there’s no half-point in football scoring (or in any ball sport that I can think of).
By Cardinal&Orange on 01.01.16 12:20pm
Once Again
Statistical analysis that is so breathtakingly advanced that it would be futile to attempt to refute it.
I took average PPG achieved and allowed by both teams, split the difference and determined that Stanford wins by .25 points.
In all seriousness, I really find it hard to call this one. MSU got absolutely clobbered by Alabama, which casts a shadow on the Big Ten. Northwestern was obliterated by Tennessee earlier today: another shadow is cast (O, and we lost to that Wildcat team). Ohio State, by contrast, is having its way with Notre Dame (up two scores at the end of the 3rd quarter), and Michigan is trouncing Florida in the Citrus Bowl. Frankly, the Rose Bowl could go in any direction. I expect it to be close into the 4th quarter; and then it will depend upon which team has the better finish. I will go with Stanford by a score, just because I am a homer and think Hogan will rise to the occasion in his last college football game. But if I am wrong, I won’t be surprised, just disappointed.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 01.01.16 12:46pm
ESPN today had the probably of Stanford winning at 69% if I recall
Which sounds about right to me.
By worldblee on 01.01.16 1:03pm
I think too much is made of conference affiliations during bowl season. Teams play, not conferences. And each individual team has its own motivations, personnel issues, and so forth this time of year.
A good example was UCLA vs Nebraska. B1G fans think their conference beat the P12. Really? I think Mike Riley’s staff beat Jim Mora’s staff. Not to mention NB isn’t that bad (many close losses), and Bruins were playing without a lot of key players.
By Cardinal&Orange on 01.01.16 1:08pm
Good point
But it is tempting to read something into it when you see such a lopsided beat-down like the Bama-MSU game. If that is one conference’s champion playing another conference’s champion, and you assume both have to be optimally motivated, the margin of victory makes you wonder about relative conference strengths. As you point out, I don’t read too much into the USC-Wisconsin or UCLA-Nebraska contests because motivation was certainly an issue. USC had fired four of its key assistant coaches, had lost the Pac-12 conference championship and really didn’t have a whole lot to play for. But how do you explain the Northwestern implosion versus Tennessee? That is really unbelievable.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 01.01.16 1:18pm
Individual teams. TN has a decent D, but was just more explosive than NWestern.
By Cardinal&Orange on 01.01.16 2:37pm
Watching the Fiesta Bowl
I have concluded that Ohio State is the best team in the B1G. I think they would have beaten us if we had faced them in the Rose Bowl. Their defense looks monstrous; and their offense looks really potent.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 01.01.16 1:22pm
Halftime
Iowa will have to score 42 unanswered to make good on my "prediction."
Hey, you never know — weirder things have happened.
But not many.
By Cardinal&Orange on 01.01.16 3:59pm
Glad I was wrong on my prediction. I am somewhat cautious in my prognoses.
By Jeff Tarnungus on 01.01.16 4:58pm