Preseason Bowl Projections Predict Mixed Bag for Kentucky
The college football season is less than a week away, and that means it's already time for bowl projections. From the Bahamas Bowl to the National Championship, media outlets are sending out predictions for what 84 teams they believe will crack the postseason at the end of 2022 and into 2023.
Kentucky is no longer an afterthought when it comes to bowl season, having won four consecutive postseason matchups, including two Citrus Bowl trophies. Head coach Mark Stoops had changed the culture in Lexington, to the point where just getting six wins and making a bowl game is no longer good enough.
There are once again lofty expectations for the Wildcats entering the 2022 campaign, and some bowl projections are reflecting just that. Here's where the the Cats are being predicted to go bowling this season before having played a game:
ReliaQuest Bowl- Monday, Jan. 2, Tampa FL
The Outback Bowl is no more after a 26-year run, having been renamed to the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Brett McMurphy of Action Network is predicting the Wildcats to head down to Tampa, taking on Notre Dame. It would be the first ever matchup between the two schools and would certainly be one of the more hyped matchups in the Stoops era. Action Network currently has the Fighting Irish as a 7.5-point favorite.
Athlon Sports also has Kentucky playing inside Raymond James Stadium, but against the Spartans of Michigan State. The all-time series between the two is 2-2, but the last matchup dates back to 1947, when UK snuck out of East Lansing with a 7-6 victory.
Citrus Bowl- Monday, Jan. 2, Orlando FL
Orlando is becoming the second home of Kentucky Football, and ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach are both projecting a third trip to Camping World Stadium in the last five years for Big Blue nation. Bonagura has UK squaring off against Wisconsin, while Schlabach sees another date against Penn State in the Wildcats' future.
Birmingham, Alabama was home to the first and only meeting between the Cats and Badgers, when Kentucky squeaked out a 20-19 win in the 1984 Hall of Fame Classic.
Kentucky kicked off its four-game postseason winning streak against the Nittany Lions in the 2019 Citrus Bowl, winning 27-24. There of course would be added intrigue if the schools were to play one another this season, as UK quarterback Will Levis would play presumably the final game of his collegiate career against the school he transferred from.
Music City Bowl- Sunday, Dec. 31, Nashville TN
This likely isn't a bowl game that BBN would be happy attending, but it's currently where CBS Sports' Jerry Palm is placing the Wildcats. Palm, like McMurphy, has Kentucky taking on Michigan State.
Nashville would practically be a home game for UK against Sparty, but playing before New Year's Day is no longer the goal around Lexington, unless it's in the College Football Playoff.
Gator Bowl- Saturday, Dec. 30, Jacksonville FL
The state of Florida continues to be a popular destination for Kentucky, and CollegeFootballNews.com has Kentucky returning to TIAA Field in Jacksonville just two seasons after its last visit, taking on Florida State.
Flashback to the 2007 Music City Bowl and you'll find the last time that the Cats took on FSU, when Rich Brooks' group pulled out a 35-28 win over Bobby Bowden's Seminoles.
There's plenty of football left to be played, but it appears as though BBN should get ready for another trip to the Sunshine State.
