The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl isn’t just the Iowa Hawkeyes versus the Tennessee Volunteers. There is a bit of Big Ten versus the SEC situation going on here as well. The two power conferences are trending towards being the head honchos of college football, if not already firmly there, and there are bragging rights in play.
Does Iowa pull off another win despite their offense? What version of Joe Milton do the Volunteers get at quarterback? There are plenty of narratives picking up steam for this game and it is time to look at some predictions.
USA TODAY Sports had six of their experts predict every bowl game. The group is split on the outcome of the Hawkeyes and Volunteers. Four of the six are rolling with Tennessee, while two of the picks have taken the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Scooby Axsom, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, and Dan Wolken are all pledging an SEC alliance and taking the Volunteers while Jace Evans and Eddie Timanus are going with Big Ten hard-nosed football by picking Iowa.
While Iowa does boast a better record at 10-3 and are winners of the Big Ten West, it is fair that the competition that Tennessee (8-4) played was a step up from the likes that Iowa saw.
Kickoff for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is set for 12:00 p.m. CT on Monday, Jan. 1 in Orlando, Florida at Camping World Stadium.
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