Iowa headed to the Citrus Bowl versus SEC foe
Iowa’s bowl game has been set. The Hawkeyes (10-3, 7-2 Big Ten) will travel to Orlando, Fla., to take on Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 SEC) on Jan. 1, 2024, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The game will kick off at noon on ABC.
The news comes after the Hawkeyes’ 26-0 loss to top-ranked Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game. Just as they did when they last lost to Michigan in that conference championship game in 2021, the Hawkeyes are back in the Citrus Bowl.
Last time, Iowa lost to Kentucky, 20-17, finishing the season with a 10-4 record. Pretty much under the same circumstances, the Hawkeyes will look to reverse their fortunes against the Volunteers.
🟨 + 🟧 = 🧀
🏈 @CitrusBowl
🗓️ Monday, Jan. 1
⌚️ 12 pm CT
📍 Orlando, Fla.
📺 ABC#Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/S2KE5xcgTe— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 3, 2023
The Vols are ranked No. 21 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, four spots below No. 17 Iowa. Tennessee started their season off with a promising 5-1 record, their lone loss in that stretch at Florida. They led eventual SEC champions Alabama 20-7 at halftime in Tuscaloosa before surrendering 27 straight points in the loss. They struggled against the top competitors of the SEC, dropping games to Alabama, Missouri, and Georgia.
These two teams have played three times before, most recently in 2014. There, Tennessee defeated the Hawkeyes, 45-28, in the TaxSlayer Bowl. The Vols lead the all-time series, 2-1. However, Iowa won the 1982 Peach Bowl against Tennessee.
While Iowa only has that lone Citrus Bowl appearance back in 2022, Tennessee is 4-1 all-time in the Citrus Bowl, notching wins there against Maryland in 1983, Ohio State in 1996, Northwestern in 1997 and Michigan in 2002.
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