The 2018 bowl match-ups have finally been announced and after going to New York City (Iowa--Pinstripe Bowl) and Memphis (Liberty Bowl) last year, the Hawkeyes and Cyclones are heading further south this year.

Nebraska v Iowa
Matthew Holst, Getty Images
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Following an 8-4 regular season, the Hawkeyes will be playing the 18th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, also 8-4, in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. It's Iowa's sixth trip to the annual game in Tampa, Florida in the last sixteen years. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

Iowa's all-time winningest coach, Kirk Ferentz, was hired as head coach at Iowa 20 years ago today.

West Virginia Mountaineers v Iowa State
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The 25th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones will be looking to tie a school record with their ninth win on Friday, December 28 when they take on the 12th-ranked Washington State Cougars (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. and is televised by ESPN.

It's been a great two years for Iowa and Iowa State football as a whole. There have definitely been wins left on the field by both teams, but 2018 marks just the third time in history that both Iowa and Iowa State have won eight games in the same season. Just look:

  • 2018: Iowa 8-4, Iowa State 8-4
  • 2017: Iowa 8-5, Iowa State 8-5
  • 1903: Iowa 9-2, Iowa State 8-1

Iowa State has a chance to win nine games in a season for just the third time in school history in the Alamo Bowl. The Cyclones went 9-1 in 1906 and 9-3 in 2000.

It's going to be a fun bowl season for fans of both the Cyclones and Hawkeyes. Here's hoping they both win their bowl games and each gets to nine wins on the season. That has never happened in the 120-year history of the two programs (Iowa State is in their 121st season, Iowa its 120th).

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