:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/4906919/134718236.jpg)
Suffice it to say, the Oklahoma Sooners were hoping to be somewhere else this time of year. After beginning the season ranked No. 1 in the AP and Coaches' polls, the Sooners entered into a late season slide that culminated in a berth in the 2011 Insight Bowl against what ought to be an overmatched Iowa Hawkeyes team. The Sooners will be 14-point favorites when they take the field Friday.
The Hawkeyes will presumably give it their best shot in Tempe, however, despite what oddsmakers are saying. If recent history is any indication, they should be pretty confident they can put up a fight. Iowa is riding a school record three straight bowl game winning streak, including a 27-24 victory last season in the Insight Bowl over the Missouri Tigers, another heavily-favored Big 12 opponent.
Slowing down Landry Jones and Co. could prove difficult for the Hawkeyes, however. The Sooners own the fourth-best passing offense in the FBS, throwing for 365 yards per game. Whether Bob Stoops' squad can shake off the disappointment of a missed BCS Bowl berth, not to mention the cobwebs of their beat down at the hands of Oklahoma State, is another matter, however.
Game date, time: 10:00 p.m. ET, Friday, December 30
Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ
TV channel: ESPN/ESPN3
Odds: Oklahoma favored by 14 points
For more on the Sooners, be sure to check out the SB Nation blog Crimson And Cream Machine. Head over to Black Heart Gold Pants for everything Hawkeyes. For more college football, stay tuned to SB Nation’s college football news coverage.