CBS Sports' predicts Baylor to face a Big Ten foe in its bowl game
With the College Football season fast approaching, many sports media outlets have already released their predictions for the postseason, including who will make the playoffs and who will appear in a bowl game. When examining the Big 12, specifically the Baylor Bears, many across the industry are torn. While some are under the impression that the Bears can push for a spot in the College Football Playoffs, others believe that the Bears won't even make a bowl game and will fall flat this season.
In CBS Sports' most recent publication of their preseason bowl game predictions, they have the Baylor Bears facing off against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. Although this would mean the Bears would fall short of their College Football Playoff aspirations, a matchup against a Big Ten foe like Iowa would be no slouch, and would provide fans with a very interesting game.
When you think of the Iowa Hawkeyes in college football, you think of consistency. Year after year, Kirk Ferentz always yields a very tough, defensive-minded team that is going to will their way to a 7-10 wins during the regular season. Coming into the 2025 season, I expect that to be the case yet again for Iowa, whose favorable Big 10 schedule could see them push for a College Football Playoff spot.
In the scenario where Iowa would play Baylor in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, it would certainly be a clash of very different play styles. Iowa's tough defense versus Baylor's explosive offense. For Baylor, the offensive firepower, led by quarterback Sawyer Robertson, could be a lot, even for a stout Iowa defense to handle. For the Hawkeyes, key returning players like free safety Xavier Nwanpka will be key to maintaining their defensive identity and will try to shut down prolific offenses throughout the season. If I had to pick a winner for the game today, I would lean towards the offensive strengths of Baylor, but I could certainly see this game going both ways.
The fact remains that all these predictions are being made in the preseason, and there is a lot of time between now and the College Football Playoffs. Still, do not be surprised to see both the Bears and the Hawkeyes outperform their predicted records and push for top spots in their respective conferences.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.