Which bowl game does College Football News project the Iowa Hawkeyes to in 2022?
The season might not start for a couple more months, but why not start thinking about the postseason?! Much like Roman Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV, bowling is always on our minds, but which bowl should Iowa Hawkeye fans set their sights on? The good folks at College Football News recently gave their predictions for every Big Ten team’s bowl game for the 2022 season.
The Hawkeyes indeed were selected to go bowling this upcoming year, an honor that unfortunately will elude fellow Big Ten rivals Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana, and Rutgers. However, they are not on course to make the Rose Bowl like Michigan or contend for the national title like Ohio State. Instead, Hawkeye Nation should start to center their New Year’s Eve plans around Nashville, Tenn.
Currently, College Football News has Iowa facing off against Ole Miss in the Transperfect Music City Bowl against Ole Miss. It’s an intriguing matchup on the surface. Ole Miss has been one of the best offenses in college football over the past several seasons, while the Hawkeyes bring back plenty of key pieces to one of college football’s stingiest defenses in 2021. The Rebels are breaking in USC transfer quarterback Jaxson Dart in 2022.
While it doesn’t have the prestige of a College Football Playoff game or the Rose Bowl, the Music City Bowl does have one of the higher payouts amongst the bowl games… so there’s something at least. It’s also without the novelty of the Cheez-It Bowl or the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, but that just means you’re safe from a mayo bath this time Kirk Ferentz.
The Music City Bowl, played between SEC and Big Ten teams, has a history of upsets. That upset history is mostly from the early 2000s, but in recent years it has become one of the most exciting and tightly contested games in the postseason slate. Last year’s iteration between Purdue and Tennessee, a 48-45 overtime thriller, has an argument for the best postseason game last season even with a very controversial ending. Jaylen Wright 100% was in.
Iowa was supposed to be in the 2020 Music City Bowl, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the Missouri program. Last year, Iowa lost to Kentucky 20-17 in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl. They hold a 20-17-1 overall bowl record and have gone 9-9 in bowl games under Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Jacob on Twitter: @Jacobkeppen
Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
