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Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
A look at what bowl game and who Iowa might play to end the 2016 season
It’s not going to be the same feel as the Rose Bowl last year, but Iowa football is 8-4 and will make a good bowl this season. Ranked in the AP Poll but not in the College Football Playoff Ranking shows that there is some disagreement about how good Iowa is this season.
They’re 8-4, which is more than a respectable record, but they only beat Rutgers by seven and got killed by Penn State, while also losing to FCS-North Dakota State. On the other hand, the Hawkeyes ended the season on a three-game winning streak with two wins over ranked teams.
They’re a tough team to figure out, to say the least.
Unlike last season when Iowa went 12-0 and no one wanted to believe they were a good football team, this season, the committee doesn’t have to lose sleep about whether the Hawkeyes should or should not be in the College Football Playoff.
There is still a lot of contradiction about which bowl game Iowa will be in, though. Since 2008, the Hawkeyes have been in the Insight Bowl, which is now the Cactus Bowl, twice, the Outback Bowl twice, and the Rose Bowl, Orange Bowl and TaxSlayer Bowl each once.
Here’s a look at potential bowl games Iowa could be in this season.
December 30: Music City Bowl vs Kentucky Wildcats (7-5)
Yeah, Kentucky has sports outside of basketball. If Iowa made their first ever appearance in the Music City Bowl, it would likely be against SEC foe Kentucky Wildcats, who went 7-5 this season and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2010.
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Before beating Nebraska last week, this was Iowa’s expected bowl game. It’s not a terrible game, however it’s not a marquee one, either. It has a tie-in with the SEC and Big Ten/ACC. It would be at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Last season, the Louisville Cardinals, who Kentucky beat last week, and Texas A&M Aggies played in Nashville, Tennessee. Louisville won 27-21, marking the eighth time in 10 years that the Music City Bowl has been decided by single-digits.
Playing Kentucky doesn’t sound sexy, but the Wildcats put together a good season. Until a couple of weeks ago, the Wildcats had a legitimate chance of winning the SEC East over Florida. They ended up dropping games to Georgia and Tennessee, however a win over their ranked rival in Louisville added to an already great season.
Verdict: It’s a possibility, but it seems less likely after Iowa beat Nebraska a week ago. It wouldn’t be a terrible game, however Iowa deserves better.
Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
December 27: Holiday Bowl vs Washington State Cougars (8-4)
This would be one of the better early bowl games this year. Washington State came a win away from playing in the Pac-12 Championship Game this weekend. Plus, the Cougars and Hawkeyes are two of the best four-loss teams in the nation this season.
In San Diego, California, the Holiday Bowl is at 6 p.m. on ESPN. It’s consistently one of the better early bowl games. It currently has tie-ins with the Pac-12 and Big Ten.
Last season, the Wisconsin Badgers beat USC 23-21. There is a chance that USC could replace Washington State, however the Cougars seem like a better opponent for Iowa, and the Trojans have been in the Holiday Bowl each of the past two seasons. Therefore, the Pac-12 will likely want to have them travel somewhere else.
Iowa is 2-0-1 all-time in the Holiday Bowl. Iowa’s 1991 Hayden Fry led team tied BYU 13-13 to mark the Hawkeyes only bowl game tie in school history. It’s also the last time Iowa played in the Holiday Bowl.
Verdict: Sure, the game is early. However, Washington State is a good team and would be a great matchup for Iowa. Mike Leach and Kirk Ferentz have been in the business forever, too. It would be hard to complain about an Iowa vs Washington State Holiday Bowl.
Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
January 2: Outback Bowl vs LSU (7-4)
Ah, the good ole’ Outback Bowl. Iowa has played in the Outback Bowl in four of the past 13 years, lastly in 2013 when LSU beat the Hawkeyes 21-14. The Hawkeyes are 2-2 overall in the Outback Bowl.
As you could probably guess, the tie-ins for the Outback Bowl are the SEC and Big Ten. With no games on New Year’s Day, Iowa and LSU would kick-off January 2, which included the Cotton, Sugar and Rose Bowl, at noon CT on ESPN.
Despite Tennessee demolishing Northwestern 45-6 a year ago, the Outback Bowl has been known for close finishes. In Tampa, Florida, six of the last seven Outback Bowls were decided by single digits, and three went to overtime.
There is a chance that Tennessee might make this bowl, but it seems like LSU is almost a lock to be in it. While the Tigers didn’t live up to their top-five preseason ranking and fired Les Miles, they’re still a respectable team from one of the best football conferences in the nation. It would make for a great game if both teams came to play.
Verdict: This would have the potential to be really fun. If Leonard Fournette plays, Iowa’s stout run defense would get a chance to prove their worth on national TV. It probably won’t happen, though, since Iowa’s played here so many times recently.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
December 28: Pinstripe Bowl vs North Carolina Tar Heels (8-4)
This is only the seventh year of existence for the Pinstripe Bowl. Although, it’s still one of the cooler ideas. It’s played in the freezing cold, and possibly snowy weather, of New York City at Yankee Stadium. When you think of Iowa football and weather that would benefit Iowa’s run game, it’s winter in New York.
The Pinstripe Bowl takes place on December 28 at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The ACC and Big Ten are the tie-ins, but neither Iowa nor North Carolina have participated in this bowl game before.
Last season, Duke beat Indiana 44-41 in overtime, marking the second straight year the Pinstripe Bowl went to overtime. Although, games have only been decided by single-digits three of six years so far.
Besides the fact that Iowa wouldn’t be sent to a nice beach, rather the winter cold of New York City, it wouldn’t be a terrible game. North Carolina has been in-and-out of the AP Poll top-25 all season and come in with two wins over ranked teams. The Tar Heels, much like Iowa, didn’t play their best football every week, and it cost them as they could easily have been 10-2 this year.
Verdict: The Pinstripe Bowl doesn’t seem like a likely destination for two eight win teams. That being said, it would definitely be a cool experience for the Hawkeyes to play in Yankee Stadium against a respectable opponent in North Carolina. Iowa’s three game winning streak should end this possibility, but there’s still a small chance.
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