Citrus Bowl – Hawkeyes vs Volunteers Free Picks
Tennessee Will Be Without Six Cornerbacks For The 2023 Citrus Bowl

The Iowa Hawkeyes finished the season with one of the worst offenses in college football. But that didn’t stop Iowa from finishing 10-3 and earning a college bowl bid into the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the Tennessee Volunteers.
The Hawkeyes dealt with many significant injuries in the middle of the season. They lost starting quarterback Cade McNamara, TE Erick All, TE Luke Lachey, and most recently, Cooper DeJean, a do-it-all back for the Hawkeyes.
DeJean played over 700 snaps and was the punt returner and cornerback for one of the best defenses in the nation.
However, those guys have been out for a while. Yet, Iowa continues to find ways to win ball games. They’ll go up against a Tennessee program that finished the year 8-4.
Tennessee’s offense only lost a left guard who played 116 snaps this season to the transfer portal. However, starting running back Jaylen Wright will opt out of this game to prepare for the NFL Draft. Jabari Small, the senior runner, will take over that position. He’s added over 2,000 yards rushing in his Tennessee career.
However, the Tennessee defense has lost many significant players in the transfer portal, including four cornerbacks.
Could this mean Iowa will have success throwing the ball?
Oddsmakers don’t think so. Tennessee is still a -8 favorite, with the total at 36.5. The line for this NCAAF game hasn’t changed much since opening, as the Volunteers were also -8 and sitting at -310 on the money line. The total also opened at 36.5.
Let’s talk about the 2023 Citrus Bowl below.
Citrus Bowl
Hawkeyes vs Volunteers 
Day/Time:
Location: Camping World Stadium
Streaming: ABC
Kirk Ferentz Deserves More Respect
When analysts and journalists discuss the best coaches in college football, Kirk Ferentz is typically left out of the conversation.
However, Ferentz has gone 196-118 as the head coach of Iowa since 1999. He’s won two Big Ten Championships and has earned the Big Ten West Division three separate times in his career.
However, he was truly only recognized for his seasons in 2002, 2004, and 2015.
But after Iowa scored just 16.62 points per game this season, the Hawkeyes had to make a decision to fire his son from the offensive coordinator position. Ferentz needs to find someone else.
He was asked about who he was considering for the job. He explained that the next offensive coordinator must have an appreciation for Iowa. He’s still looking to play complimentary football to showcase his defense.
So, if you were hoping Iowa’s defense would turn into LSU’s, it’s not going to happen. Still, even with a poor defense, Ferentz still found a way to earn ten wins this season. It’s incredible.
Tennessee’s Cornerback Problem
Earlier this NCAAF season, the Tennessee Volunteers lost Kamal Hadden to an injury. He played 311 snaps before going down.
Meanwhile, after the season concluded, cornerbacks Doneiko Slaughter, Tomarion McDonald, Brandon Turnage, and Warren Burrell entered the transfer portal.
Tennessee is down five cornerbacks for this game against Iowa.
Granted, Iowa doesn’t throw a whole lot. But the Hawkeyes aren’t delusional. They’ll take it if they see an area they can attack.
There will likely be a lot of young guys taking over in the secondary in this game.
Can Iowa Shock The World Again?
Nobody really understands how the Iowa Hawkeyes continue to pull off wins with an offense that averages 107.23 yards per game in the air and just 117.08 yards on the ground.
However, Iowa doesn’t like to force anything. They’d rather rely on their defense to win them good field position and force many turnovers.
Therefore, starting quarterback Deacon Hill had just 1,096 yards passing in nine starts and 12 games. He only had one game where he threw for over 200 yards this season. Hill also had only five passing touchdowns, with six interceptions.
But six interceptions isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things. The more Iowa can limit turnovers, the better off they’ll be.
The Hawkeyes have allowed only 13.23 points per game this season. They still earned a differential of 3.39 points. That’s more than a field goal per game.
That’s because the defense held NCAAF teams to only 160.92 yards per game in the air and 101.92 yards per game on the ground.
The Iowa defense hasn’t lost anyone significant to the transfer portal. The defense is still intact despite Cooper DeJean being injured and out.
They’ll face Joe Milton III of Tennessee, who has a cannon. Milton also kept his turnovers down this season but will likely be pressured more by the Iowa defense. Tennessee won’t have lead running back Jaylen Wright and could be without more NCAAF players due to injuries.
In the season finale, RG Javontez Spraggins and LG Andrej Karic were injured against Vanderbilt. The Vols were also without safety in Wesley Walker and two defensive linemen in Omarr Norman-Lott and Roman Harrison.
That’s why we’re starting to think Iowa has a chance to score some points against Tennessee in this game.
This might sound crazy, but Iowa’s got a better track record this season and could outscore Tennessee in the 2023 Citrus Bowl after all.
Our football betting guide features bets for every bowl game. Make sure to check out all of the college football betting lines and compare your thoughts with outs.
That said, after looking at the NCAAF standings, opt-outs, transfers, and injuries, we like the Hawkeyes to escape with the win outright. The Hawkeyes are sitting at +8.5 with a moneyline at +245. Meanwhile, the Under 36.5 still makes the most sense, with Iowa allowing under 14 points per game this season.
For NCAAF betting news, college football odds, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.