Iowa Hawkeyes Connected to Overwhelming Bowl Expectation

The Iowa Hawkeyes are being connected to an overwhelming bowl expectation for what game they'll play in.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz on the sidelines during the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to take care of business on Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins. Now, they head into their final game of the regular season this coming Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a 7-4 record.

Iowa will be headed to a bowl game following their game against Nebraska. However, the real question ends up being, which bowl game will they play in?

At this point in time, the Hawkeyes seem to be trending towards playing in one bowl game in particular.

Here are a few of the bowl game projections that have been put out there by analysts:

• Jerry Palm/CBS Sports: Iowa vs. Ole Miss in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Florida).
• Brad Crawford/247Sports: Iowa vs. South Carolina in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Florida).
• Mark Schlabach/ESPN: Iowa vs. Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Florida).
• Kyle Bonagura/ESPN: Iowa vs. Ole Miss in the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31, Tampa, Florida).
• College Football Network: Iowa vs. LSU in the Music City Bowl (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee).
• The Sporting News: Iowa vs. Clemson in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Jan. 3, Charlotte, North Carolina).

Obviously, the ReliaQuest Bowl seems to be the clear favorite when it comes to what game Iowa will play in.

Looking at some of the matchups that have been suggested, there is the potential for a very entertaining game.

Going up against Ole Miss, South Carolina, or Alabama would be a very difficult test for the Hawkeyes. Any of those three games would give them a great test to end the 2024 season.

There is still one game that needs to be played. A win over the Cornhuskers would have them ending their season at 8-4. After that game, it will be a wait and see approach as to which bowl game Iowa will play.

All of that being said, seeing this projections should bring excitement to the Hawkeyes' fan base. None of them would be easy games, but the matchups would give Iowa a chance to end the season with a major upset and to head into the offseason on a high note.