Iowa Bowl Projection Changes After Oregon Loss

Here's how the Iowa Hawkeyes last-second defeat to the Oregon Ducks affects their bowl game projections.

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Gennings Dunker (67), center, stands with teammates for the national anthem Nov. 8, 2025 before a Big Ten Football game against the Oregon Ducks at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes sit at 6-3 (4-2) after their stunning loss to Oregon. Everything was going the Hawkeyes way up until the final moments when the Ducks sealed their fate with a game-winning field goal.

Oregon was far from perfect, but they did enough to get the best of Iowa. Now, Iowa has three losses on their record as they fell out of the AP Top 25. While the college football playoff committee is the only rankings that matter, it's highly unlikely they keep Iowa in the Top 25.

That said, ESPN's bowl projections for Iowa somehow remained the same. Each week, Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach come together to project which team will be playing in every single bowl game. They respected Iowa's loss to Oregon and thought no changes were necessary.

ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Tennessee

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; a general view of the stadium before the ReliaQuest Bowl between the Michigan Wolverines and Alabama Crimson Tide at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Seemingly every week this season Iowa has found themselves going to Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl. It's a marquee bowl-game outside of the playoffs that features a top B1G team vs. a SEC team. Those are two of, if not the best two conferences in all of college football.

Tennessee's football program has seen plenty of highs and lows, but these two teams are no stranger to one another. Just two years ago, the Volunteers shut out Iowa, in Florida, no less. That 35-0 win for Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl has left Iowa clamoring for revenge.

Not every bowl game has significant meaning, but this would be a huge chance for Iowa to get back at the team that embarrassed them two years ago. It would be in Tampa instead of Orlando, but Iowa would still head to Florida with revenge on their mind.

SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl vs. Utah

Nov 1, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of Rice-Eccles Stadium between the third and fourth quarters of a game between the Utah Utes and the Cincinnati Bearcats. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Currently, Utah is 7-2 (4-2) in the Big 12. They just dominated No. 17 Cincinnati, 45-14 in a win that put people on notice. The Utes have their sights set on the College Football Playoffs, but clearly Kyle Bonagura doesn't see them making it that far.

Utah has a very easy schedule down the stretch. They'll play at Baylor, host Kansas State, and then finish the season at Kansas. If somehow they lose one of those games, there's no doubt they'll end up in Las Vegas for a rather meaningless bowl game. That said, it's hard to imagine this Utah team squaring up against an Iowa team that could drop two straight against Oregon and USC.

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