Kentucky Football Bowl Streak in Jeopardy

Kentucky has been to a school record eight consecutive bowl games under Mark Stoops. That postseason streak is in jeopardy following a fourth loss in SEC play.

At the midway point of the 2024 Kentucky football season, the Wildcats have lost more games (4) than they’ve won (3). There have been a lot of changes across the college football landscape. One thing hasn’t changed. You need to be at least .500 to play an extra game in December.

During the latter stages of this eight-year run, when Kentucky achieved bowl eligibility, it was hardly acknowledged because the program had bigger goals. Stoops is not diminishing the significance of this bowl streak as it hangs in the balance.

“It is important. We’re in the right now and trying to win this game. That’s where we have to stay focused,” the head coach said today. “Is it important? I think it is in the grand scheme of things. There’s only eight schools in the country that have gone to eight straight. There’s only four in the SEC. It’s not easy.”

Ahead of the season, one could easily play the schedule math to chart out a path for at least six Kentucky football wins. Now, there’s a number crunch and the outlook isn’t optimistic.

The Rest of the Schedule

vs. Auburn, Oct. 26
at Tennessee, Nov. 2
BYE
vs. Murray State, Nov. 16
at Texas, Nov. 23
vs. Louisville, Nov. 30

Kentucky has to win three of its final five games to extend the postseason streak to nine. One of those games is against a bad FCS team. Two are on the road against Top 10 teams. That leaves Auburn and Louisville. Kentucky is a short favorite against Auburn and that will likely be the case against the Cards. Those are must-win, toss-up games at home, a place that has surprisingly not been kind to the Cats over the last dozen SEC football games.

Kentucky Football Bowl Projections

After the win at Ole Miss, Brett McMurphy projected Kentucky to play a bowl game in Tampa. Following the loss to Florida, there’s only one projection we could find of Kentucky playing in the postseason. It’s in Tampa, but instead of the Reliaquest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl), it’s the Gasparilla Bowl (formerly the St. Petersburg’s Bowl at Tropicana Field). To get bowl eligible, Kentucky needs to win toss-up games at home and the national analysts aren’t betting on it.

Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: N/A
Jerry Palm, CBS: N/A
Brett McMurphy, Action Network: N/A
Brad Crawford, 247 Sports: N/A
Athlon Sports: Kentucky vs. NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl, Dec. 20, 3:30 pm, ESPN

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