The Walk Through — Live from the Rose Bowl

Got here super early because it's the Rose Bowl. I went down to the field. It's a grass field, but it doesn't look like it. It's immaculate. The setting . . . there's nothing like anywhere and there will never be anything like it.

We were in a bus with a police escort on our way in. You wind through a tree-filled canyon with beautful homes. You can't see too much of what's ahead because of the trees. You start to descend the canyon. You come to the bottom and it flattens out for miles, kind of like a fairground.

You turn right and you see it, sort of.

The bus went straight to the desination by the gate and turned left. There it was through the window. The iconic Rose Bowl neon sign with the San Gabriel Mountains looming above.

Nature built this spot. There's space to accommodate the 100,000-plus fans, but it's also tree-line. You see homes on the pressbox side of the valley that are amazing and somehow have stayed in the hills.

Security was stringent. You knew it would be. It has to be. A group of Army Rangers lined up to go into the Rose Bowl. It's always weird seeing I don't know what kind of gun except menacing and powerful.

You walk down the tunnel and then you see the field. There's nothing like it. It's so cool to know be able to put a place on the stadium and the bowl I've watched my entire life.

So, let's get to work.

— We're a ways from the game, but here are some injury thoughts (not news, thoughts).

Watched DE Nate Meier in a few practices and he seemed OK. Remember, he fought through groin/shoulder/neck to play in the Big Ten title game. He moved well in the limited view I saw.

I'm wondering about FS Jordan Lomax. He took a shot on his right knee in the B1G and wore a heavy-duty knee brace and didn't move really well. I'm sure he plays. Remember, he wasn't supposed to play against Maryland, suffering the effects of some sort of injury. In the press box during pregame, Iowa announced he was out. He played every snap. He's played the most snaps of anyone this season. If you think about it, that's hardcore.

DE Parker Hesse seemed to be a little slowed. He had a sleeve on one of his knees. Not sure if it's hampering him.

QB C.J. Beathard isn't 100 percent, but you know that. What will it take to get him to 100 percent? I think his deal is a hip as much as it's the groin. I'd put low odds on an offseason surgery, but that might be the only course.

I couldn't figure out if there was a deal going on with OT Boone Myers. We watched the 'walk through' portion of practice. They do some literal walking through plays with instruction from coaches. This is where you read about different OL combos this week, ranging from the Northwestern OL (Sean Welsh/Ike Beottger at OT, James Daniels at G) to Boettger and Cole Croston at OTs and Myers at second-team tackle.

Not sure what or if anything's going on. I don't expect a departure, but it also would surprise me if Iowa tried to run some more power run plays.

OK, check back for more.

— Dolph says on the radio the estimate of Iowa fans here is between 50,000 and 60,000. I have no estimate. I have to see it in the stadium. Maybe I can give it a shot.

— OK, yes on the power game on offense.

— Iowa skill players are on the field. No one is wearing a touque.

— The running backs jogged out. All four of them.

— Iowa specialists are out on the field.

— Iowa radio sideline guy Rob Brooks is talking to the Stanford radio guy. Stanford guy talked about how injuries caught up with the Cardinal defense and it kind of sagged at the end of the season. He said it's good to go now.

He's talking about QB Kevin Hogan's bounceback year. Said Hogan has so many weapons to choose from and the offense is so varied, mostly because RB Christian McCaffrey.

Stanford guy is saying Stanford is a bend-don't-break, a change from the elite. The injuries pushed the offense to score more and it certainly helped. Getting corners Holder and Harris back have been huge. It's not an attack defense. It's not the #hashtag party in the backfield it was last season.

— Slot, wildcat, running back, passer, receiver, that's what McCaffrey is asked to do.

— Stanford is more than that and keeps defenses off balance.

— 'Generational talent.' 'Has another gear.' 'Not enough credit for toughness.'

— I asked Stanford coach David Shaw about recruiting McCaffrey, whose parents met at Stanford.

'Recruiting is never easy, in particular at Stanford, because what comes first and foremost is the academics, and he's an outstanding student,' Shaw said. 'But unlike any other college in America, before we can get ultra serious, they've got to get admitted. We can't send them a letter of intent. They have to get admitted. They have to finish the application. They've got to turn it back in and turn it back into admissions and we sit there and wait just like they do. Christian, even being the son of two Stanford parents, there are anxious moments because everybody in the nation's saying, 'hey, we've got a spot for you right now. Stanford's making you wait.' Like most of us, as we were growing up, we learned some of the best things are worth waiting for, and Christian and his family understood that. It takes a few weeks for that application to get processed, and I'm checking my phone every ten minutes for two weeks.

'So there were, of course, always those tenuous moments, but when a young man gets admitted and is excited about it, and his family's excited about it, that was the big thing, I think. From the beginning, I think Christian knew he wanted to come to Stanford. He wasn't worried about his father's legacy at Stanford, which is significant. He wanted to come and establish his own, which, once again, he's just at the beginning of.'

— Koehn range? He hit 51 and 53 yarders. Seems sharp today. Dillon Kidd is looks sharp. Of course, it's warmups.

— Iowa radio injury report (team Dr. Brian Wolf) said Iowa has a few players who are going to need offseason surgery. Can play, but will need fixing.

— OT Boone Myers has been limited in practice. That's why we saw the different lines. Might see James Daniels start. Not sure what's up with Myers. Could be stinger again.

So all that presto change-o on the OL this week was real.

— The Northwestern line is happening it looks like. Sean Welsh at RT, James Daniels at LG and Cole Croston at LT.

Myers is left guard on second team. Boettger is left tackle. Dalton Ferguson RT and Keegan Render at RG on second team. So, Northwestern line was Croston, Daniels, Blythe, Daniels and Welsh.

— Canzeri is good to go. Out there doing things.

— Big 12 commish Bob Bowlsby is former Iowa and former Stanford AD. He was asked who he's cheering for on pregame radio. He said 'The Big 12 officials who are calling today's game.' Drew some laughs.

OK, we are done here.

It is time for the Rose Bowl.

Enjoy the game, everyone.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com