The Rose Bowl Game

That's the official name.  The organizers make a lot of fuss and politic to make sure this is the only game in tis time slot on New Year's Day.  The Rose Bowl Game and their parade are the main reason the big six bowl games are stuck with playoff games on New Year's Eve - they won't move their game, ever.

Stanford vs. Iowa

It appears the Spartans and Wildcats have company in the Big 10 corner of shame.  That's too bad, it's the Hawkeyes first trip to Pasadena in 25 years.

What exactly happened at the Big 10 championship game?  Did the two teams just beat each other up so much they couldn't recover in nearly four weeks?  Just like Ohio State, Stanford had something to prove and if the nation hadn't met Heisman runner up Christian McCaffrey, you know him now.

Stanford scored on the first play from scrimmage courtesy of McCaffrey and never looked back.  No need to go blow by blow, it was an ugly game for Iowa on a day of ugly games.  Iowa put up a couple late scores in garbage time and as Brent Musberger proclaimed, "Look who won the second half!" Uh, yeah.

As well as the big six bowl games went last year, it has gone as badly as possible this year, plus two extra beat downs.

Stanford 45  Iowa  16  (I'll just shut up about Kirk Ferentz calling time out under 30 seconds to go down by 29.  He's done this before, down by even larger deficits. Accept a loss, move on.)

My pick:  Stanford

Game notes:

-The Stanford marching band was up to their usual shenanigans.  Since the Cardinal made it to the game for the third time in four years and the band always does something that gets under the skin of some people.

 This year it had something to do with Iowa, Farmers Only.com, and a cow.  They do this because the Rose Bowl is the only game that insists ESPN shows each team's band.  Take it from me, no other game has to show the band, and they don't. There's no money to be made showing marching bands and ESPN knows how to crank dollars out of 18 minute half times.

 ESPN cut to the blimp and then cut away, afraid Aunt Tilly might by upset.  I love it, so stupid in a really stupid schedule of games. 

-What did I eat?  Dinner - traditional for New Year's Day, pork roast, black eyed peas, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.  Pretty good.

-Player swag:  Gift suite; Fossil watch; Ogio backpack; New Era fitted 59 Fifty cap. Huh, Fossil watch, you don't say?

One more game tonight, Sugar Bowl.  Let's hope its competitive, that would be a change for the day.  If not, we have movies ready to go.