After a wild Pac-12 Championship game Stanford is headed back to the Rose Bowl to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Normally the Rose Bowl selects the Pac-12 Champion and the Big Ten Champion. The College Football Playoff, however, takes precedence and the Big Ten Champion Michigan State will be heading to the playoffs allowing the Rose Bowl to select Iowa.
Things looked bleak for Stanford after the opening-week debacle against Northwestern but the team rallied and went on an impressive run through the Pac-12 Conference. The Cardinal also fought their way into the College Football Playoff discussion until the Oregon Ducks derailed Stanford's hopes.