Stanford headed back to Rose Bowl; will it Iowa or Ohio State?

The College Football Playoff system is in its second season, and under its rules, the Rose Bowl Game is assured of a matchup between teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten conferences when it is not among the two bowl games hosting a College Football Playoff semifinal.

The Rose Bowl is a pretty great consolation prize. Clearly the College Football Playoff and Rose Bowl committees agreed.

“The question is, should there be an eight-team playoff?”

Iowa narrowly missed winning the Big Ten title. Absolutely. Eventually I think we’ll get there. This will be the Cardinal’s third trip to the Rose Bowl in the last four years.

Stanford beat USC to win the Pac-12 championship.

The remainder of the top 25 – and the pairings for the Rose, Fiesta, Sugar and Peach bowls – will be announced at noon.

Iowa is enjoying perhaps the best season in program history.

Iowa finished this season 12-1, losing in the Big Ten Championship game Saturday, 16-13, to Michigan State.

Iowa (12-1) will be playing in the Rose Bowl Game for the sixth time and first since 1991, when it lost to Washington, 46-34.

STANFORD SHOWCASE: Cardinal running back Christian McCaffrey will cap his incredible season with his first appearance in the Rose Bowl game.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPN. The Hawkeyes ran for at least 100 yards in every game this season.