Who: Iowa vs. Stanford

What: Rose Bowl

When: Friday, 4 p.m. CT

Where: Rose Bowl, California

TV: ESPN

Spread: Stanford -6.0

Matchup to watch: Iowa front seven vs. Christian McCaffrey

Iowa’s front seven has been underrated all year. Jaleel Johnson, Josey Jewell and Cole Fisher are three of the best defensive players that nobody outside of the B1G has heard of. If they shut down the Heisman runner-up, that’ll change in a hurry. McCaffrey’s rise has been well-documented.

RELATED: Kirk Ferentz compares Christian McCaffrey to college football legend

For those that haven’t watched Iowa all year, it’d be natural to assume that McCaffrey will carve up the Hawkeyes. After all, Iowa hasn’t faced a tailback with his skill set, and certainly they don’t have the speed to stay with him at the second level. But Iowa gets a push at the line of scrimmage like few can. That, ultimately, will determine whether or not McCaffrey takes over.

Thing I’m excited to see: A pro-Iowa crowd

You already know that Iowa fans flooded Pasadena. I don’t care if the two schools got an even allotment of tickets. Expect to see a very B1G Championship-like representation of black and gold at the Rose Bowl. A pro-Iowa crowd could make it feel like a West Coast version of Kinnick Stadium. That’s big for a team that’s playing in its first major bowl game with this group.

RELATED: Iowa fans flood ‘Hawkeye Huddle’ pep rally in Los Angeles

That means Stanford third downs should get awfully loud, especially if the game stays close early. Anything Iowa fans can do to give their team an advantage a neutral site game, they’ll do. If the Hawkeyes can get a score or two in the first quarter, it could turn into a hostile environment for the in-state team.

Number to remember: 35

That’s how many wins Kevin Hogan has in his Stanford career. Yes, that’s more than any quarterback in the country. Iowa gets to face the nation’s two active wins leaders in back-to-back games. What does that mean? Well, like with Cook, those mistakes are few and far between. He picks up blitzes well, he doesn’t get fooled by coverages and he makes throws that most guys can’t. That means Desmond King and Greg Mabin have to capitalize on the limited opportunities they’ll likely get.

RELATED: Iowa drops sweet fourth quarter Rose Bowl hype trailer

McCaffrey figures to get the majority of the touches, but Stanford will find itself in obvious passing situations at some point. Nobody has been better at stealing 50-50 balls than King. Iowa could take some pressure of its secondary by putting some pressure on Hogan, similar to what Northwestern did in the season opener. Hogan’s ability to make third downs could very easily be the difference in this one.

Prediction: Stanford 28, Iowa 24

I see this as a back-and-forth game. C.J. Beathard will have his moments, as will Hogan. For as much talk as each team’s running game will receive, I think both quarterbacks will shine on the big stage. So what does this game come down to late? Balance. I think Iowa finds itself in unfamiliar territory in the fourth quarter when it doesn’t have its usual success running the ball. For the second straight game, Iowa proves that it belongs among the nation’s best. But once again, the Hawkeyes come up just short.