Iowa versus Stanford again? No thanks.
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa versus Stanford?
In a bowl game?
In southern California?
Again?
Thanks, but no thanks.
It’s too soon, too expensive and too far in terms of distance to embrace that possible matchup in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 in San Diego.
It won’t even have been a year since Stanford pounded Iowa 45-16 in the Rose Bowl this past New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif., which is about 130 miles north of San Diego.
The chance to avenge the Rose Bowl beat-down is about the only intriguing storyline to 8-4 Iowa versus 9-3 Stanford, but there is no guarantee that would happen.
Iowa has a history of struggling on the West Coast, especially in bowl games, while Stanford running back Christian McCaffery is healthy, tallying almost 500 yards in his team’s final two regular-season games.
The last thing many Iowa fans probably want is to travel 1,800 miles to watch a repeat performance of the Rose Bowl, only in a lesser bowl with far less on the line.
Of course, there always is a chance that Iowa could beat Stanford this time. But do you really want to take that chance at such an expensive price and so soon after the previous matchup?
If Stanford isn’t picked to represent the Pac-12 Conference in the Holiday Bowl, pass-happy Washington State likely would be the choice.
Iowa versus Washington State (8-4) doesn’t exactly send chills down my spine, although, Washington State coach Mike Leach is odd enough to produce a storyline or two.
The Holiday Bowl from all the reports, rumors and speculation is considered Iowa’s most-likely bowl destination, followed by the Outback Bowl in Tampa and the Music City Bowl in Nashville.
The Music City Bowl was thought to be second in line until Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta gave a bowl update during halftime of Tuesday’s 92-78 loss to Notre Dame in men’s basketball.
Barta said it was down to the Holiday Bowl and the Outback Bowl, and that the Music City Bowl was inching out of the picture.
That’s unfortunate because the Music City Bowl is the most appealing of Iowa's three bowl options regardless of prestige.
It’s appealing from a financial standpoint, from a convenience standpoint, from a potential matchup standpoint and from a scheduling standpoint.
The Music City Bowl is played on Dec. 30, while the Holiday Bowl is played on Dec. 27, just two days after Christmas.
Arkansas and Kentucky are two of the SEC teams that are reportedly being considered for the Music City Bowl.
Imagine the buildup to an Iowa-Arkansas game with Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema preparing to face his alma mater and talking about it with reporters on a daily basis.
Kentucky wouldn’t be bad, either, with former Iowa defensive back Mark Stoops coaching the Wildcats.
The Outback Bowl picks ahead of the Music City Bowl and could have a choice between Iowa and Nebraska depending on what happens with the six premier bowl matchups.
Nebraska did nothing to help its cause, though, by losing to Iowa 40-10 in the regular-season finale last Friday. The Cornhuskers, at 9-3, have a better record than Iowa and they haven’t played in the Outback Bowl, whereas Iowa has played in the Outback Bowl four times since the 2003 season.
Assuming the Outback Bowl decision makers can get over Nebraska's dismal performance against Iowa, getting the Cornhuskers for the first time would seem more appealing than getting Iowa for a fifth time in a little over a decade. Every team not named Alabama has a bad game, as Iowa also showed during a 41-14 loss at Penn State on Nov. 5.
The chance to spend the holidays in Florida never gets old for some Iowa fans. So there likely would be a decent following at the Outback Bowl.
As for the opponent, Florida and Louisiana State are considered the most likely candidates for the Outback Bowl, which for Iowa, would be more of the same.
Iowa already has played Florida twice in the Outback Bowl following the 2003 and 2005 seasons, splitting the two games. The Hawkeyes also played LSU in the 2014 Outback Bowl, losing 21-14 in a game that left much to be desired from an entertainment standpoint.
The bowls are now setup to where if there is a will, there is a way to make it happen.
Iowa versus Arkansas in the Music City Bowl stands above any other possible bowl matchup for the Hawkeyes for lots of reasons besides the Bielema factor.
Nashville is an attractive and reasonably priced vacation spot. It’s also conveniently located for a majority of Iowa fans and it’s where Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard grew up.
Who knows, maybe his brother could sing the National Anthem before the game.
It’s way more appealing than Iowa versus Stanford again in southern California.