Depressed Kentucky Football Fan of the Day Wants Bowl Projections

Kentucky’s path to bowl eligibility got considerably tougher with the loss to Vanderbilt. Now 3-3, the Cats need to find three more wins in the second half of the season to extend the program’s record streak of postseason appearances to nine. Two of those games are against top-15 teams on the road (No. 11 Tennesee, No. 1 Texas), and one vs. Louisville to end the season at Kroger Field.

For what it’s worth, most national media members still think the Cats can do it. Kentucky is included in some bowl projections this morning. The destinations aren’t quite as exciting as a few weeks ago, but that’s what happens when you lose to Vanderbilt in embarrassing fashion.

• Brett McMurphy: Birmingham Bowl vs. Boston College (Dec. 27, Noon or 3:30 PM, Birmingham, AL)
• ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Armed Forces Bowl vs. Navy (Dec. 27, Noon or 3:30 PM, Fort Worth, TX)
• ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Armed Forces Bowl vs. West Virginia (Dec. 27, Noon or 3:30 PM, Fort Worth, TX)
• CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: Music City Bowl vs. Nebraska (Dec. 30, 2:30 PM, Nashville, TN)
• 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford: Not listed

Crawford replaced Kentucky with Vanderbilt in his projections, slotting the Commodores in the Gasparilla Bowl and leaving the Cats out altogether. Ouch.

Kentucky’s next two games are huge for bowl eligibility. The Cats must beat Florida on the road and/or Auburn at home to have a realistic path to six wins. Kentucky proved it is capable of upsetting a top-ten team on the road at Ole Miss, but games at No. 11 Tennessee and No. 1 Texas are daunting, to say the least. Assuming they lose both, even if Kentucky takes care of Murray State on Nov. 16, it has to win two of three vs. Florida, Auburn, and Louisville to get to a bowl.

• Aug. 31: Southern Miss – 31-0 W
• Sep. 7: South Carolina – 31-6 L
• Sep. 14: Georgia – 13-12 L
• Sep. 21: Ohio – 41-6 W
• Sep. 28: at Ole Miss – 20-17 W
• Oct. 12: Vanderbilt – 20-13 L
• Oct. 19: at Florida – 7:45 PM, SEC Network
• Oct. 26: Auburn – TBA
• Nov. 2: at Tennessee – TBA
• Nov. 16: Murray State – 1:30 PM, SEC Network+/ESPN+
• Nov. 23: at Texas – TBA
• Nov. 30: Louisville – TBA

2024 SEC Bowl Ties/Affiliations

If Kentucky does make it to six wins, what bowl will they draw? Let’s revisit the SEC’s bowl ties/affiliations for this season. This year, the College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams, including the top five conference champions and the next seven at-large teams. You can assume at least a few SEC teams will be among that group. The SEC and Big Ten alternate between the Las Vegas Bowl (2020, 2022, 2024) and Duke’s Mayo Bowl (2021, 2023, 2025); this is the SEC’s year to send a team to Sin City. The Armed Forces Bowl can choose an SEC team if one is still available when it’s their turn to draw.

Here is the pecking order:

• College Football Playoff
• Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs Big Ten
• Pool of 6:
  • AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs Big 12
  • Las Vegas Bowl vs Former Pac-12
  • ReliaQuest Bowl vs Big Ten or ACC
  • TaxAct Texas Bowl vs Big 12 
  • TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs ACC
  • TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs Big Ten
• If needed:
  • Birmingham Bowl vs American Athletic
  • Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl vs AAC or ACC