PREVIEW Capital One Bowl

No. 12 LSU (9-2) vs. No. 11 Iowa (9-2)
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: WYTV (33), WEWS (5), WTAE (4)
Coaches: Nick Saban (48-15 in 5th year at LSU) and Kirk Ferentz (41-31 in 6th year at Iowa).
Payout: Each school receives $5.187 million.
Bowl records: LSU is 17-17-1. Iowa is 10-8-1.
Last bowl appearance: LSU beat Oklahoma, 21-14, in last year's Sugar Bowl. Iowa beat Florida, 37-17, in last year's Outback Bowl.
Series history: First meeting.
Last game: LSU won at Arkansas, 43-14, on Nov. 26. Iowa beat Wisconsin, 30-7, on Nov. 20.
Stats that matter: Since going 10-24 in Ferentz's first three years, Hawkeyes are 29-6 last three years while sharing Big Ten title twice (Iowa won grand total of two Big Ten titles from 1957-2001).
Game facts: The Tigers have excelled in close games, going 4-1 in games decided by four points or less. Saban has used both senior QB Marcus Randall, freshman JaMarcus Russell all year, though Randall did have breakout game (252 total offense, 2 TD passes, 2 TD runs) at Arkansas. Ferentz has done amazing job patching the Hawkeyes together after losing four RBs to season-ending injuries. QB Drew Tate (218-of-343, 2,499 passing, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 2 TD runs) has kept the offense afloat while an opportunistic defense (third in nation with 31 turnovers forced) makes game-changing plays. LBs Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge (combined 205 tackles) are underrated while DT Jonathan Babineaux nearly single-handedly took apart Wisconsin.
Scripps Howard