Few things can be tougher than predicting how college football bowl games will shake out and offering a prediction.
Rosters look overhauled and depleted by the transfer portal, there are guys preparing for the NFL Draft, and some teams use bowl games as a chance to get younger guys valuable reps and experience for the next season.
That is all a long-winded way to say that predicting bowl games is far from an exact science. One game falling victim to nearly all of the previously mentioned bowl nuances is the TransPerfect Music City Bowl between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Missouri Tigers.
Both teams will see their brightest offensive stars, Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Missouri’s Luther Burden III, sidelined in this game in preparation for the NFL Draft.
Still, these teams are 8-4 and 9-3 with a lot of talent elsewhere looking to claim one more victory and take home a trophy.
As the game approaches, USA TODAY Sports offered their predictions on who wins in Nashville and were split between who they like more.
Between the six predictions, Missouri leads with a 4-2 advantage.
Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, and Dan Wolken are all jumping on the Missouri bandwagon and predicting a Tigers victory.
Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus are rolling with Iowa and Kirk Ferentz believing that winning bowl games means a lot to the Hawkeyes.
Kickoff for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 30 from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game will air on ESPN.
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