LOS ANGELES -- Here's material from the second of three media days for the Rose Bowl Game Presented by Northwestern Mutual:

Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey has made use of social media during the Cardinal’s visit to Southern California, posing at Disneyland for a photo with several prominent teammates and U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and for another shot with comedian Brad Williams.

Honored to see @CoryBooker at Disneyland ... #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/WTD3DzcE5G

— Alan George (@treeSIDjorge) December 26, 2015

But the Heisman Trophy runner-up is not a fan of social media. McCaffrey said he learned this year, as his visibility skyrocketed, about the perils of such fame.

“I’ll post every once in a while,” he said, “just because I think it’s good. Social media is an unbelievable way to make connections with people, and I really do believe that.”

But McCaffrey, the Associated Press Player of the Year, mostly resists online commentary in order to avoid unneeded distractions.

“Being a Division I college football player,” he said, “you really can’t post things that you’re thinking sometimes.” - Mitch Sherman

Although McCaffrey was a Heisman Trophy finalist who broke Barry Sanders' NCAA single-season all-purpose yardage record in 2015, Iowa players say that they didn't know who he was until the awards races heated up toward the end of the season.

"Being from the Midwest, I just never watch a lot of Pac-12 games because they start so... https://t.co/kMTEyHTftd pic.twitter.com/5a9KoBHMPA

— David Lombardi (@LombardiESPN) December 28, 2015

"Being in the Midwest, I just never really watched a lot of Pac-12 games just because they start so late back home," linebacker Cole Fisher said. "I think they're after midnight for us. It's just a geographical thing in my mind."

Distance and time issues will finally be put to rest Friday, when Iowa and McCaffrey will not only be in the same time zone, but also the same stadium. - David Lombardi

Stanford's offensive linemen are known for their pull-blocking prowess. Guard Joshua Garnett is a 321-pound behemoth who won the Outland Trophy this year thanks in large part to the damage that he inflicted while on the move.

So when key Iowa defensive players met the media on Monday, their upcoming physical test against Garnett & Co. was a major point of discussion. One reporter even ventured to show Hawkeyes defenders the famous video clip of Garnett turning Washington defenders into rag dolls. It impressed linebacker Josey Jewell.

The clip also caught the attention of Iowa cornerback Desmond King. The 2015 Jim Thorpe Award winner's specialty lies in pass coverage -- his eight interceptions this season are one off the national pace -- but he seems more excited about his potential role in run support on New Year's Day, even if that means colliding with Garnett in the open field.

Here's the potential best match-up of the Rose Bowl: Iowa's Desmond King, the Thorpe... https://t.co/K3IojUomkJ pic.twitter.com/AUNAkVSjP9

— David Lombardi (@LombardiESPN) December 28, 2015

"I'm not going to speak for everybody, but I like it," King said. "I like when guards pull and all that. It's a challenge for me ... I have a good, big heart, and I know what I can do."

Keep in mind that the speedy King weighs only 200 pounds, a full 121 pounds shy of Garnett. So this is big talk. But when Iowa played LSU in the 2014 Outback Bowl, a freshman King successfully took on Tigers offensive lineman La'el Collins -- also 321 pounds.

"I knocked him over," King said with a smile. "We both fell out on the ground, but I eliminated him out of the play. I'm looking forward to doing the same thing. I know [Garnett's] a big guy, but I'll try to get leverage on him ... Like our coaches say, you need to have a triangle base."

And therein lies a hidden yet extremely intriguing matchup of this Rose Bowl: The battle between Stanford's massive blockers and Iowa's smaller defenders in space. - Lombardi

Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker, among the longest-tenured coaches nationally, has experienced all the ups and downs with Kirk Ferentz over the past 17 years.

And through everything, Parker said, “it’s just unbelievable how lucky I got.”

Parker, 52, coached defensive backs at Iowa from 1999 to 2011 before his promotion to coordinator. In the three years before this fall, Iowa won just 19 of 38 games.

Criticism intensified after the Hawkeyes lost three straight at the end of last season to finish 7-6.

Statistically on defense this fall, though, Iowa appears comparable to 2012 to 2014:

It ranked 15th in total defense, allowing 341.4 yards per game over Parker’s first three seasons in charge, 25th in yards per play and 22nd in scoring defense. This year, Iowa sits 21st in yards per game at 334.2, 18th in yards per play and 13th in scoring.

“Football’s a tough game,” Parker said Monday. “To me, you’ve got to block out the noise. I don’t go to anybody else’s job and sit there and critique anybody else. But that’s their right. They do it, and I understand that. It really doesn’t bother me that much.”

Parker said he never longs for greener pastures.

“I see a lot of guys who might have a so-called better job,” Parker said.

But he’s happy at the side of Ferentz, the longest-tenured FBS coach nationally, alongside Bob Stoops of Oklahoma, after the retirement this month of Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech.

Parker said he understands that goodwill generated from this record-setting season at Iowa may not last long.

“It’s what have you done for me lately,” he said.

Sometimes, perception dictates, Parker said, that, “if you can’t win it all, you’re not a good coach.” - Sherman