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Bowl game projections after Week 8: Iowa is working towards being bowl-eligible

The Iowa Hawkeyes have four wins on the season, so they need just two more before they become bowl-eligible.

By Ericka Brockish

Iowa’s Brendan Sullivan (1) hands the football off to Kaleb Johnson (2) while playing Washington Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa’s Brendan Sullivan (1) hands the football off to Kaleb Johnson (2) while playing Washington Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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A tough Week 8 loss to Michigan State put the Hawkeyes at 4-3 on the season and still two wins away from becoming bowl-eligible this season. This a far cry from where the Hawkeyes were last season when they had only sustained one loss and were on their way to winning their division and earning a spot in the Big Ten Championship.

Now, in 2024, the defense is looking more and more mortal each game, and the offense is hot and cold with each performance they put out. Becoming bowl-eligibly seems like it should be an easy task looking at the final five games of the season, but with the way the Hawkeyes have played this season, they could come out flat against any of those teams.

Possible Bowl Game Options for Iowa: Where Could They Play?

Bowl Game:

ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs. Syracuse December 28, 2024, Bronx, NY
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Reliaquest Bowl vs. Ole Miss December 31, 2024, Tampa, FL

The Athletic: Duke's Mayo Bowl vs. Duke January 3, 2025, Charlotte, NC

CBS: Reliaquest Bowl vs. Ole Miss December 31, 2024, Tampa, FL

247Sports: Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl vs. Virginia Tech December 28, 2024, Bronx, NY

Key Games Left on Iowa’s Schedule That Could Determine Their Bowl Game

Final 5 games:

  • Iowa vs. Northwestern
  • Iowa vs. Wisconsin
  • Iowa at UCLA
  • Iowa at Maryland
  • Iowa vs. Nebraska

Three key games that Iowa should win are Northwestern, UCLA, and Maryland. The reason these are key games is that if the Hawkeyes can win those three games, they will be in the best position possible with seven wins on the season, assuring their bowl eligibility.

The two games against Wisconsin and Nebraska are games that Iowa is very capable of winning, but with the performance that Iowa has put against teams that are on the same level as Wisconsin and Nebraska, Iowa has struggled. The offense will struggle against the solid defenses that both of those teams have, so winning at least two, if not three, of those other games is the best opportunity for Iowa to become bowl-eligible.

Potential Opponents for Iowa in Their Bowl Game

One of the ESPN projections and CBS both believe that Iowa could face Ole Miss in the Reliaquest Bowl, which means that those analysts believe Iowa will be able to win more than just three of their final five games. Ole Miss would be a very tough opponent for the Hawkeyes with a high-flying offense and a defense that is good enough to give the Iowa offense a lot of trouble.

Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Duke are three other opponents that could be potential opponents in one of the bowls. With three possible ACC opponents, that would indicate that Iowa loses two or three of their final five games, as those three opponents are near the middle of the conference and will most likely finish with anywhere between six to eight wins at the end of the season.

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