No. 3 Iowa (11-1) vs. No. 5 USC (10-2) Orange Bowl: Jan. 2, 8 p.m. EST (ABC) Pro Player Stadium (75,521)

CNNSI.com's Stewart Mandel breaks down the Orange Bowl.
With a clash of Big Ten and Pac-10 co-champions, this year's Orange Bowl has been dubbed by some the "Rose Bowl East." Following a loss to rival Iowa State in their third game of the season, the Hawkeyes won their last nine to earn their first-ever perfect Big Ten record and set a school record for wins in a season. The Trojans, playing by far the nation's toughest schedule, won their last seven games, including a season-ending 44-13 blowout of seventh-ranked Notre Dame that sealed their BCS berth. The game features this season's top two Heisman vote-getters, USC quarterback and trophy winner Carson Palmer against Iowa counterpart and runner-up Brad Banks.
Brad Banks AP Iowa's offense vs. USC's defense The heart and soul of the Hawkeyes is the versatile senior Banks (25 TDs, 4 INTs), the nation's most efficient passer, who is also a dangerous runner (387 yards, five TDs). An aggressive Trojans defense will do its best job getting pressure on Banks, with DE Kenechi Udeze (7.5 sacks) leading a unit that has 42 sacks, but Iowa gave up only 11 all year. It will be able to keep USC's defense honest with a balanced attack that includes stellar RB Fred Russell (1,219 yards, 5.8 per carry) and a veteran offensive line with standouts Bruce Nelson and Eric Steinbach. The Trojans rate among the nation's best against the run, allowing only 80.2 yards per game. LB Matt Grootegoed (15.5 tackles for loss) and All-America S Troy Polamalu will play prominent roles, but they must also keep an eye on stud Hawkeyes TE Dallas Clark. Banks may be able to get WR Maurice Brown (21.5 yards per catch) in mismatches with USC's corners.   Carson Palmer AP USC's offense vs. Iowa's defense It took a year, but Palmer fully grasped second-year coordinator Norm Chow's offense this season, and he promptly exploded (3,639 yards, 32 TDs, 62.9 percent). The key to the system is short, high-percentage passes, but speedy receivers like freshman Mike Williams (1,166 yards, 13 TDs) are capable of turning them into huge gains. It will be quite the challenge for an Iowa defense ranked 109th out of 117 teams against the pass (270.9 yards per game). The Hawkeyes will hope DT Colin Cole and the rest of their imposing line to force Palmer out of the pocket while dropping as many defenders as possible into pass coverage, most notably star safety Bob Sanders (89 tackles). USC has a stable of quality running backs, led by fifth-year senior Justin Fargas, but they may be ineffective against LB Fred Barr and the rest of an Iowa rush defense ranked No. 2 in the country (68.2 yards per game).
Iowa enjoys the luxury of having the nation's top kicker, Nate Kaeding (20 of 22 field goals, 3-of-3 from 50+) and dangerous kick returner Jermelle Lewis (26.7 yards per kick, 1 TD). USC is not as prolific on special teams but has a reliable short-range kicker in Ryan Killeen (15-of-21). The Hawkeyes may have one disadvantage in that they have not played an opponent near the caliber of USC all season and they haven't played a game since Nov. 16.
Iowa QB Brad Banks Sr., 6-1, 200 2002 stats: 155-of-258 (60.1 percent), 2,756 total yards, 25 TDs, 4 INTs A junior college transfer from Belle Glades, Fla., Banks rose from obscurity to household name after playing sparingly his first year at Iowa. USC QB Carson Palmer Sr., 6-2, 225 2002 stats: 288-of-458 (62.9 percent), 3,639 yards, 32 TDs, 10 INTs A true freshman standout in 1998, Palmer overcame four years of injuries and inconsistency to finish as the Pac-10's all-time leading passer.
Banks will present a unique challenge for the Trojans' formidable defense, but not as much as Palmer and Williams will for a suspect Hawkeyes passing defense. Iowa will win the battle in the trenches, but USC will finish with a leg up on the scoreboard thanks to an offensive display the likes of which they don't see too often in the Big Ten. The pick: USC 28, Iowa 20
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