Kentucky still listed in some Bowl Projections following loss to South Carolina

We’re only two games into the season and we’re already worrying about bowl eligibility. That’s how bad Kentucky’s 31-6 loss to South Carolina was. Now 1-1 with a daunting schedule ahead, the Cats have to regroup to keep the school record streak of eight consecutive bowls going. For what it’s worth, some national media members think they’ll do it.

Brett McMurphy, Mark Schlabach, and Brad Crawford included Kentucky in their bowl projections this morning. McMurphy has the Cats facing Iowa State in the Texas Bowl on New Year’s Eve, while Crawford likes Kentucky vs. UCF in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27. Schlabach predicts a rematch with Iowa in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Schlabach’s ESPN colleague Kyle Bonagura did not include the Cats in his projections, nor did CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm.

• Brett McMurphy: Texas Bowl vs. Iowa State (Dec. 31, 3:30 PM, ESPN)
• ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Music City Bowl vs. Iowa (Dec. 30, 2:30 PM, ESPN)
• ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Not Listed
• 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford: Liberty Bowl vs. UCF (Dec. 27, 7 PM, ESPN)
• CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: Not Listed

How does Kentucky get to six wins? After the loss to South Carolina, it’s a lot tougher. The Cats would be halfway there with wins over Ohio and Murray State. Vanderbilt doesn’t seem like a gimme anymore but the game is at Kroger Field, so Kentucky should be favored. From there, knock off Florida on the road, and beat Auburn or Louisville at home. Upsets vs. Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and/or Texas would be season-changers.

• Aug. 31: Southern Miss – 7:45 PM, SEC Network – 31-0 W
• Sep. 7: South Carolina – 3:30 PM, ABC – 31-6 L
• Sep. 14: Georgia – 7:30 PM, ABC
• Sep. 21: Ohio – 12:45 PM, SEC Network
• Sep. 28: at Ole Miss – 12:00 PM, ABC or ESPN
• Oct. 12: Vanderbilt – TBA
• Oct. 19: at Florida – TBA
• 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.

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

A week ago, the Liberty Bowl felt like a letdown. Now, we’ll be lucky to walking in Memphis or Birmingham in late December.