In the 2019 Holiday Bowl, we have a very unique match up between the Hawkeyes and the Trojans, meeting for just the 10th time and only the 2nd time since 1976. It really is a match up of the unstoppable force meeting an immovable object as these teams’ philosophies are polar opposites. Iowa is a team who prides itself on defense, and has struggles with scoring the ball. On the other hand, USC is one of the top offenses in the country whose main problem is stopping their opponent. It really is your stereotypical Big 10 vs Pac 12 match up, but who has the upper hand?

How They Got Here: Iowa

As mentioned before, Iowa has one of the top defenses in the country, allowing the 4th least amount of points at 13.2 PPG. The struggle is on offense, as they are around 24 PPG. The defense has been what’s kept them alive in most games where their three loses were by a combined by 14 points despite them only scoring 3, 12, and 22 points in those games, respectively. Fortunately for them, USC struggles on the defensive end so they have a prime opportunity to move the ball and give the defense more room for error. Iowa at 9-3 is looking for its first 10 win season since 2015.

How They Got Here: USC

More or less the exact opposite of how Iowa got here. They pride themselves in their offense and after a suspect 5-4 start to the season they were able to rally by winning the last three, keeping their chances at a Pac 12 championship appearance alive, and giving Clay Helton a shot to stick around in 2020. In this role reversal, despite USC having a struggling defense, they also have a prime opportunity to take advantage of what is a struggling Hawkeye offense.

Player To Watch: Kedon Slovis, USC, QB

Keydon Slovis ended these last three games on the highest of notes, completing 78.5% of his passes, throwing 12 touchdowns to one interception, and throwing for 1353 passing yards. This will be his toughest challenge this year and the same goes for Iowa as this is the best QB they have seen all season.

Degenerate Section: Iowa -2 (O/U 52.5)

This is certainly a tough call make. There are some “one of these has give” scenarios. Iowa’s stout defense vs USC’s prolific offense. Iowa’s struggle to move the ball vs USC’s struggles to stop the opponent. It is really tough to see which side gives in and this really is a match up where anything can happen. It can be a close win for both sides or a blow out for both sides. I would proceed with caution for you gamblers, but in the end I would take the under on 52.5 and just flip a coin on who you think will win the 2019 Holiday Bowl.

You can view the rest of our 2019 bowl previews here.