ESPN Reveals Final Prediction for Iowa Hawkeyes Against Missouri

The Iowa Hawkeyes and Missouri Tigers have received a final prediction from ESPN for the Music City Bowl.

Oct 26, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz walks off the field after a game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Kinnick Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes have one game left to close out the 2024 college football season. They are gearing up for their Music City Bowl matchup against the Missouri Tigers.

With a win, head coach Kirk Ferentz would tie Woody Hayes' record for most wins by a Big Ten football coach. However, Iowa is going to face a very strong opponent.

Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes are heading into the matchup with an uphill battle already facing them. Kaleb Johnson, the team's star workhorse running back, is sitting out the game. He has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and opted not to risk an injury playing in the bowl game.

That being said, what should fans be expecting from Iowa against Missouri?

ESPN's FPI has made it's final prediction for what will end up happening in the Music City Bowl. Sadly, the Iowa fan base is not going to love the results.

They are giving the Tigers a 52.8 percent chance to defeat the Hawkeyes.

Of course, that should not come as an unexpected prediction. Without Johnson, Iowa is going to struggle to score points. They were already struggling offensively with him on the field.

It sounds like Brendan Sullivan will be back as the starting quarterback for the bowl game. That could be a helpful thing, but the Hawkeyes are going to need a career performance from a few different players in order to pull off the win over Missouri.

Regardless of what ends up happening in the bowl game, Iowa should be proud of themselves for getting there. The 2024 season has been an absolute rollercoaster, but they were able to persevere and make it this far.

Should they end up losing without their best player on the field, there would be nothing for the team to hang their heads about. However, if they can find a way to come out on top, that would be something to celebrate.

Hopefully, they're able to make a game out of it and give the fans one last entertaining football game.