Kentucky-Iowa ranked as least watchable 2022 bowl game
A rematch of last season’s Citrus Bowl isn’t likely to draw many eyes outside of the team’s respective fanbases.
According to Alex Kirshner of FiveThirtyEight, this year’s TransPerfect Music City Bowl, which features a showdown between Kentucky and Iowa, is considered the least watchable bowl game of the postseason. The Wildcats and Hawkeyes were also matched up in last season’s Citrus Bowl, which saw UK come away with a 20-17 victory.
These two teams are among the nation’s best on the defensive end, particularly Iowa. Both programs will be without their starting quarterbacks and will also be missing several key pieces at multiple positions due to outgoing transfers and NFL decisions. All of this contributes to a bowl game that not many college football fans are eager to sit down and consume.
The way Kirshner explains it, all 42 bowl games this season received a ranking somewhere between 4-15, with four being the least watchable and 15 the most. His BEAST (Bowl Enjoyment and Attractiveness System for Television) “formula” is split into four categories (stakes, team quality, style, and familiarity) that are assigned point values with a maximum of 15. The TransPerfect Music City Bowl finished dead last and in a tier of its own, earning a score of just five; one for familiarity, one for style, two for team quality, and one for stakes.
Here’s what Kirshner wrote about the matchup:
They played this exact game a year ago. Now Iowa has one of the worst Power Five offenses in memory, as well as the most ideologically maddening one, and neither team will have its starting QB. Iowa’s Spencer Petras is hurt, and Kentucky’s Will Levis is off to the NFL. Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. is out, too, as are Iowa running back Gavin Williams and receiver Arland Bruce IV, who are transferring. If you want a holiday sequel, you might consider “Home Alone 2” instead.
Alex Kirshner, FiveThirtyEight
Only two bowl games received a perfect score of 15: the Fiesta Bowl between Michigan-TCU and the Peach Bowl between Georgia-Ohio State. The winners of those two College Football Playoff matchups will face each other in the national championship game. The Fenway Bowl, which pits Cincinnati against Louisville, is ranked as a tier-three bowl game with a score of eight.
This is also a good time to remind you that the Music City Bowl still has the lowest point total in college football history at just 31.5. Points are going to be at a premium. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 31 at noon EST on ABC.
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