Jan 01, 2016 03:00 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

With the College Football Playoff, the Rose Bowl was no longer reserved for the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions, and this year's matchup pits two playoff-worthy teams against one another.

The Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual

Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.

Listen live online: TuneIn Radio

Watch live online: WatchESPN

While the Stanford Cardinal (6) faced an outside shot at the CFP even with the Pac-12 Championship, the Iowa Hawkeyes (5) were playoff bound until Michigan State's 22-play drive to win the Big Ten Championship.

Stanford and Iowa feature two of the best pro-style offenses in the nation and rely heavily on clock management and a steady run game. The one wrinkle in Stanford's offense is their Heisman finalist running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey broke Barry Sanders' single-season record for all-purpose yards, accumulating yardage virtually every way possible. There may be no way to prepare for a player like McCaffrey, but Iowa's defense is 10th in the nation in average rushing yards allowed per game and ranks in the top 20 for points allowed per game.

"We too are excited about going back to Pasadena," Stanford head coach David Shaw said at a pregame press conference, according to ESPN. "The Rose Bowl people have been phenomenal the times that we've gone. That's a rare occurrence nowadays, but we're looking forward to the week, looking forward to a great game."

(Rankings: CFP. Stats: ESPN)

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