Iowa Football: 3 Takeaways from Hawkeyes statement win over Wisconsin

Iowa and the New Year’s Six?

In the latest bowl projections from Stadium, Iowa was predicted to be in the Outback Bowl, which is a solid game. That would be a good matchup for the Hawkeyes, but if the Big Ten is smart and set up a play-in game of sorts next week with Indiana, maybe a New Year’s Six game is possible.

Iowa football came into the week ranked 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings and even though Wisconsin wasn’t in that top 25, beating the Badgers the way they did should score them points with the committee.

Iowa has also won six straight games.

Now, if the Big Ten sticks to its format for the “champions week” No. 1 vs No. 1, No. 2 vs No. 2, then the Hawkeyes should play the Hoosiers. The winner would have a strong case to make for getting a berth into the Fiesta Bowl or wherever the second-place Big Ten team winds up.

Certainly, Northwestern beat Iowa and has a case to make too, but that might depend on how Northwestern plays against Ohio State. Outside of that, Iowa would have to upstage a team like Georgia and that’s not likely to happen.

Most likely, Iowa will end up in the Citrus Bowl or the Outback Bowl, but wherever the postseason destination, the fact that a major bowl could still be an outside possibility after an 0-2 start is a win and another successful season for Ferentz.