Which bowls are possible for Iowa football in 2022

Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Deontae Craig (45) and Jonathan Boone hold on while riding the Tilt-a-Whirl at the Citrus Bowl Kids Day on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, at Fun Spot in Orlando, Fla. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

With Iowa’s last regular season game over and no trip to Indianapolis in store for 2022, Iowa football fans can look ahead to the Hawkeyes’ bowl possibilities.

The College Football Playoff selections next Sunday will be the first domino to fall in the bowl selection process, followed by the other New Year’s Six bowls.

Unranked Iowa will obviously not be in consideration for any of the New Year’s Six bowls, but whether Penn State earns a New Year’s Six spot could have a chain reaction that eventually impacts Iowa.

Bowl selections are not necessarily in the order of the conference standings, but rather in the order of how appealing teams are to bowls.

Teams with a history of fan bases traveling well, like Iowa, could potentially jump ahead in the bowl pecking order. Bowls also may have more interest in teams it has not hosted in recent history.

Here is a breakdown of the bowls that could potentially be within reach for the Hawkeyes. These are listed in order of prestige, not Iowa’s likelihood of going there:

ReliaQuest Bowl

Conference affiliations: Big Ten vs. SEC

Location: Tampa, Fla.

Date: Jan. 2

Likelihood of Iowa playing there: Unlikely

Before Iowa’s loss to Nebraska, many bowl prognosticators projected Iowa to go to the ReliaQuest Bowl, formerly known as the Outback Bowl.

It would have made some sense for Iowa to return to Tampa if it won against Nebraska. The last four times Iowa played there, it was after an 8-4 season. A five-loss Iowa team has never gone to the Outback Bowl, though.

The Hawkeyes’ frequent past trips to Tampa might not help Iowa’s chances. If Iowa jumps ahead of 8-4 Illinois and Minnesota in the bowl pecking order to go to Tampa, it would be the Hawkeyes’ seventh time playing in the bowl.

Music City Bowl

Conference affiliations: Big Ten vs. SEC

Location: Nashville, Tenn.

Date: Dec. 31

Likelihood of Iowa playing there: Most likely

The Music City Bowl would be one of the most logical destinations for the 2022 Hawkeyes.

Assuming Penn State goes to a New Year’s Six bowl, Iowa would need to be more alluring than either Illinois or Minnesota to go to Nashville. If Penn State does not go to a New Year’s Six bowl, then Iowa would need to be ahead of Illinois and Minnesota.

It would be Iowa’s first trip to the Music City Bowl. Iowa was supposed to play there in 2020, but COVID-19 issues within Missouri’s program led to the game’s cancellation.

Minnesota has not gone there since 2005. Illinois has never been there.

Bowl projections that slot Iowa in Nashville include CBS Sports, Athlon Sports and USA Today. Possible opponents include Ole Miss and South Carolina.

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Pinstripe Bowl

Conference affiliations: Big Ten vs. ACC

Location: New York, N.Y.

Date: Dec. 29

Likelihood of Iowa playing there: Likely

The Pinstripe Bowl has been an increasingly popular pick among bowl prognosticators.

ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach project Iowa to return to the Pinstripe Bowl and play Pittsburgh. The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy also has projected an Iowa-Pittsburgh matchup.

If bowl committees would rather take 8-4 Illinois and Minnesota teams than a 7-5 Iowa team, this becomes a logical place for the Hawkeyes.

The biggest drawback for Iowa is having played there. Iowa visited the Bronx in 2017 while Minnesota and Illinois are yet to participate.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl

Conference affiliations: Big Ten vs. ACC

Location: Charlotte, N.C.

Date: Dec. 30

Likelihood of Iowa playing there: Likely

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is the least prestigious of Iowa’s likely bowl destinations.

The odds of Iowa appearing in the this bowl increase if Penn State does not earn one of the at-large New Year’s Six spots. Otherwise, Wisconsin or Maryland would have to leapfrog the Hawkeyes.

Bowl projections that have Iowa heading to Charlotte include 247Sports and Yahoo Sports. Both expect Iowa to play NC State.

The most interesting part of this bowl might be what happens afterward. The winning coach gets dumped with mayonnaise. Want to see Kirk Ferentz get dumped with a cooler full of mayo? This game is for you.

Guaranteed Rate Bowl

Conference affiliations: Big Ten vs. Big 12

Location: Phoenix, Ariz.

Date: Dec. 27

Likelihood of Iowa playing there: Doubtful

A lot would have to go wrong on Sunday for the Hawkeyes to have to accept a Guaranteed Rate Bowl invitation.

Maryland, also 7-5, and/or 6-6 Wisconsin would have to skip ahead of the Hawkeyes.

Maryland’s average home attendance was only 31,934, and Wisconsin is in the midst of a coaching change that could result in player departures via the transfer portal.

Other Big Ten-affiliated bowls

The Rose Bowl and other New Year’s Six bowls are well out of reach for the 7-5 Hawkeyes.
A repeat trip to the Citrus Bowl was already unlikely for the Hawkeyes. The Nebraska loss made the slim odds even slimmer.
The Quick Lane Bowl is extremely unlikely. Penn State would need to miss a New Year’s Six bowl, and every bowl-eligible Big Ten team would need to be selected ahead of the Hawkeyes, including Maryland and Wisconsin.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com