Kentucky Football Bowl Projections after the South Carolina loss

Kentucky is at a crossroads following the loss to South Carolina. Now 4-2 (1-2 in the SEC), the Cats’ dreams of making the SEC Championship game are dashed and if they don’t regroup quickly, the postseason could be much bleaker than imagined. There is a wide range of bowl scenarios based on what happens in the second half of the season. If Kentucky gets it together, we’ll be celebrating the postseason in Florida; if not, we may be looking at the Music City Bowl or worse, a massive disappointment for a team ranked No. 7 just eight days ago.

Right now, the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) is the trendy landing spot for the Cats among the national media. Here are the latest bowl projections:

• ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Washington State (Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., ABC, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV)
• ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Gator Bowl vs. NC State (Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m., ESPN, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL)
• Brett McMurphy: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Illinois (Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• Sporting News’ Bill Bender: Gator Bowl vs. North Carolina (Dec. 30, 3:30 p.m., ESPN, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL)
• 247 Sports: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• College Football News: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Illinois (Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• Athlon Sports: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Florida State (Jan. 2, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)

The Las Vegas Bowl is on the same day as the basketball team’s game vs. UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic, but the timing is almost perfect. Kentucky vs. UCLA tips off at 5:15 p.m. ET and the Las Vegas Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Imagine watching the basketball game at a sportsbook or bar and then making your way to Allegiant Stadium for the football game. It may not be as prestigious as the Sugar or Citrus Bowl, but what a trip for the BBN.