It’s never too early to start thinking about what a possible bowl destination might look like for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The projections are in from at least one writer.
247Sports’ Brad Crawford put together a spring practice edition of bowl projections for the 2022 season. Crawford has Iowa meeting the Arkansas Razorbacks in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. If this matchup comes to fruition, it would represent just the second all-time meeting between the two programs. Iowa won the lone meeting over Arkansas, 25-0, all the way back on Oct. 3, 1925.
While it’s not a Rose Bowl or College Football Playoff destination, the sheer intrigue of these two teams having not seen each other but one time would make for an exciting matchup. Plus, Arkansas returns one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC in KJ Jefferson.
Jefferson passed for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns against just four interceptions last season. The dual-threat signal-caller also rushed for 664 yards and six touchdowns. In the process, Jefferson and the Hogs enjoyed a resurgent season, finishing 9-4 with an Outback Bowl win over Penn State, 24-10.
If it’s anything like last season’s Music City Bowl, then fans would be in for a treat. That wound up being one of the most exciting games of the entire bowl season as Purdue triumphed over Tennessee, 48-45, in overtime. Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw for 534 yards and five touchdowns and Purdue wide receiver had seven receptions for 217 yards and a pair of scores.
It would mark the second invitation to the Music City Bowl under Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes were scheduled to play Missouri on Dec. 30, 2020, but COVID-19 issues within the Tigers’ program forced a cancellation.
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