Last week’s bowl projections can be found here.
Another week, another round of bowl projections for your Iowa Hawkeyes. This week, the so-called experts have projected Iowa to four different bowls, but could it all be for nothing?
The University of Iowa Athletic Department might have already tipped their hand as to which bowl the Hawks are attending when early Tuesday afternoon, they accidentally (?) made a link to buy Music City Bowl tickets live.
BREAKING: Iowa ticket website lists Music City Bowl on upcoming events. Only bowl game listed......@ChinLovesIowa pic.twitter.com/2fLl1cBCBr
— NORTHofDSM (@NORTHofDSM) November 28, 2017
The ticket link has since been taken down, but not before the heavy speculation - does the university already know which bowl Iowa is going to? If so, who will Iowa see on the field?
An official from the athletic department was quick to squash the rumors that Iowa to the Music City Bowl is already a done deal, issuing this statement to KCCI’s Andy Garman.
Just heard back from an Iowa official re: the Music City Bowl ticket link online: "UI athletics ticket office was preparing information for all Iowa bowl options and this was inadvertently made live for a short time. It has since been removed."
— Andy Garman (@GarmanSports) November 28, 2017
Big, if true, ticket office. Big, if true...
With all that said, here’s your reminder on which bowls the Big Ten might play in this year:
- Citrus Bowl (Shared with ACC, SEC, and Notre Dame)
- Orange Bowl (Shared with ACC, SEC, and Notre Dame)
- TaxSlayer Bowl (Shared with ACC, SEC, and Notre Dame)
- Music City Bowl (Shared with ACC, SEC, and Notre Dame)
- Outback Bowl (vs. SEC)
- Holiday Bowl (vs. Pac-12)
- Pinstripe Bowl (vs. ACC)
- Foster Farms (vs. Pac-12)
- Heart of Dallas Bowl (vs. Big 12)
- Quick Lane (vs. ACC)
Of course, Iowa cannot play in the TaxSlayer Bowl or Outback Bowl this season, essentially guaranteeing that they’ll be headed somewhere new. Let’s see where college football’s major publications have the Hawks playing.
SB Nation: Music City Bowl vs. Kentucky Wildcats
Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College
It’s been a while since Jason Kirk at dot com had Iowa playing BC in the Pinstripe Bowl, so this is a fun new development. Kentucky finished the season 7-5, but ended the year losing four of their final six contests. One of those losses was just by a field goal, but the other three came by a combined 94 points.
You might think of Kentucky as a basketball school, but Mark Stoops’ squad certainly wouldn’t be a pushover come bowl season if they were to get a game so close to home. Could be a fun matchup!
The Athletic: Music City Bowl vs. Kentucky
Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Hmmmm... maybe Iowa’s Athletic Department was onto something...
Sports Illustrated: Music City Bowl vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Last week: Foster Farms Bowl vs. Washington Huskies
Downgraded all the way from playing the Huskies to 7-5 A&M, huh? The Aggies have some really solid talent, but after the firing of Head Coach Kevin Sumlin, it’s worth questioning if they’d be motivated come bowl season or if they’ll just be looking to end their season. I’d say this is another appealing (and winnable!) matchup in Nashville!
ESPN (Bonagura): Music City Bowl vs. Texas A&M
Last week: Music City Bowl vs. Missouri Tigers
#IOWA2MUSICCITYBOWL pipeline continues to gain momentum although I much prefer the idea of the Hawks playing Missouri.
ESPN (Hale): Foster Farms Bowl vs. Washington State Cougars
Last week: Music City Bowl vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
Hale picked Iowa in this exact matchup a couple weeks ago and it appears that a strong performance against the Cornhuskers has him feeling this matchup yet again. An absolute blowout in the Apple Cup knocked the Cougars out of contention for the Pac-12 Championship Game, meaning they’re essentially locked into this bowl game.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - I want absolutely no part of Iowa playing a Mike Leach-led football team when he has a month to prepare. Nope nope nope no thanks nope.
Bleacher Report: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College Eagles
Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Louisville Cardinals
I’ve written about the possibility of Iowa playing this game three weeks in a row and it’s a distinct possibility that we get to see two of the top linebackers in the country go up against each other in Yankee Stadium.
Sporting News: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Virginia Cavaliers
Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Virginia
This one hasn’t changed since we started doing these projections and that’s all I have to say about that.
CBS Sports: Pinstripe Bowl vs. NC State Wolfpack
Last week: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Louisville
NC State isn’t quite on the level as Washington State, but they’re a really good football team with losses to pretty good teams. They finished second in the ACC Atlantic and would be a force to be reckoned with come bowl season, although a berth in the lowly Pinstripe Bowl might diminish their motivation.
USA Today: Holiday Bowl vs. Washington Huskies
Last week: Foster Farms Bowl vs. Washington State
WYD USA TODAY?