Citrus Bowl: #17 Iowa vs #21 Tennessee Odds, and Picks (Jan 1)

• Iowa was shut down by Michigan in the Big-10 title game, losing 26-0.
• Tennessee had another solid regular season, and enters this game at 8-4.
• These two teams last met on January 2, 2015, in a game Tennessee won 45-28.

The college football season is now at the bowl games! Let’s preview the 2023 Citrus Bowl between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Tennessee Volunteers. They’ll both aim to prove their doubters wrong with a win.

How to Watch

• ABC

Preview

Iowa finished with 10 wins for the 3rd time in the past 5 years, but was also the beneficiary of a largely easy schedule. After playing no ranked teams in non-conference play, they also didn’t take on Michigan or Ohio State in their main schedule. In their lone ranked game against Penn State, they lost 31-0, before losing 26-0 to Michigan in the Big-10 title game. They need to find something on offense to win this game.

Tennessee rose to as high as #13 in the CFP rankings this season, before settling at #21. They lost two of their last three games, with the losses coming to top-10 teams in Georgia and Missouri. 3 of their 4 losses came against teams in the top-10, but they also lost those games by an average of 24 points. Tennessee’s best win came over unranked Kentucky, so they’ll share Iowa’s task of proving they can beat ranked teams.

Prediction

This game has been pegged as “the battle of over-rated teams”, giving them an extra reason to win and prove people wrong. Neither team performed well in their tests against ranked teams during the regular season, but one of them will have to win this game. Iowa’s defense is exceptional, which could be what tips the scales, but I’m even more worried about their offense. I’ll take Tennessee to win in a close game.

NCAAF Picks:

• Tennessee 20, Iowa 13 ()