[7] This was Iowa's fourth Holiday Bowl, going 2–0–1 in previous appearances in 1986 (won against SDSU Aztecs 39–38), 1987 (won against Wyoming Cowboys 20–19) and 1991 (tied against BYU Cougars 13–13 – this was the last time a postseason game was tied in the NCAA).
This was USC's third Holiday Bowl, going 1–1 in previous appearances in 2014 (won against Nebraska Cornhuskers 45–42) and 2015 (lost against Wisconsin Badgers 21–23).
The teams had previously met in the 2003 Orange Bowl, where USC won by a score of 38–17.
The Trojans entered the game with an 8–4 record (7–2 in conference) and ranked 22nd in the AP Poll.
at SDCCU Stadium • San Diego, California Pound sign (#) denotes national championship game.