Inside The Hawkeyes

On SI Staff Predicts Iowa's Bowl Game

The Iowa Hawkeyes On SI staff came together to predict which bowl game this team will be playing in.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Iowa Hawkeyes helmets prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Oct 14, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Iowa Hawkeyes helmets prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

With the Iowa Hawkeyes not participating in Conference Championship day, the only thing they can do is sit back and wait until December 7. Not only will the College Football Playoff bracket be revealed, but the matchups for every bowl game will be determined.

Sitting at 8-4, the Hawkeyes clinched bowl game eligibility quite some time ago. Their 41-3 win over Minnesota on October 25 was more than enough to give them their sixth win of the season. Sadly, they finished the season 2-2.

Regardless, head coach Kirk Ferentz is taking this Iowa team on another trip to a bowl game. There are a few destinations floating around, but the On SI staff is all in agreement that this Hawkeyes team will be playing on New Year's Eve in Tampa, FL.

Jordon Lawrenz: ReliaQuest Bowl

While it would've been cool to see the Hawkeyes in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl once again, they were a win or two shy from making that a reality. Had they taken down Iowa State earlier in the year, this would be an entirely different conversation.

Instead, looking at the way the B1G standings are playing out, Iowa is well on their way to Raymond James Stadium. It's not a guarantee, but this is the most likely destination for Iowa.

The other main option is Las Vegas, something that many would consider a massive downgrade. For the Hawkeyes, they'd much rather play at the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against a potential SEC powerhouse.

Jenny Streeter: ReliaQuest Bowl

Predicting the bowl game for the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4 overall) and Head Coach Kirk Ferentz (now the winningest coach in Big Ten history) is an interesting one. The most widely cited destination is the ReliaQuest Bowl, especially with Iowa finishing with a 6-3 conference record.

However, if the ReliaQuest slot gets filled by other teams, I think the Las Vegas Bowl could be the Hawkeyes' next most reasonable projection.

Either way, quarterback Mark Gronowski has seen previous post-regular season sucess with South Dakota State before his transfer to Iowa. So, seeing what he could for the Hawkeyes this postseason should only be more encouraging for fans to tune in regardless of what bowl selection they get.

Lane Mills: ReliaQuest Bowl

All signs seem to suggest that Iowa will be headed to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, FL. Formerly the Outback Bowl, the Hawkeyes have tread significant water in the past in the same competition, suggesting a potential synergy that adds water to these stacking rumors.

Against another P4 school, Iowa would have the chance to edge their current 3-3 record in this specific bowl into a positive margin.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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