Kentucky Football Bowl Projections With One Game Left

Beat the Cards and we’re bowling in Tampa. With one game to go, almost all of the major bowl projections have Kentucky going to the Outback Bowl on January 1. ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura and Stewart Mandel are the only outliers. Bonagura sends the Cats back to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on New Year’s Eve while Mandel has the Cats facing Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.

Here’s a roundup of the latest projections:

• On3: Outback Bowl vs. Penn State (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl vs. NC State (Dec. 31, 11 a.m., ESPN, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL)
• ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• Brett McMurphy: Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm: Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• Stewart Mandel: Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ABC, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL)
• Saturday Down South’s Jim Tomlin: Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford: Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• Athlon Sports: Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
• College Football News: Outback Bowl vs. Iowa (Jan. 1, Noon, ESPN2, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)

What happens if Kentucky loses to Louisville?

Great question. Right now, every team in the SEC has either clinched bowl eligibility or has a chance to, save Vanderbilt.

	Overall Record	Conference Record	Remaining
Georgia	11-0	8-0	at Georgia Tech, SEC Championship
Alabama	10-1	6-1	at Auburn, SEC Championship
Ole Miss	9-2	5-2	at Mississippi State
Kentucky	8-3	5-3	at Louisville
Texas A&M	8-3	4-3	at LSU
Mississippi State	7-4	4-3	vs. Ole Miss
Arkansas	7-4	3-4	vs. Missouri
Tennessee	6-5	3-4	vs. Vanderbilt
Missouri	6-5	3-4	at Arkansas
Auburn	6-5	3-4	vs. Alabama
South Carolina	6-5	3-5	vs. Clemson
Florida	5-6	2-6	vs. Florida State
LSU	5-6	2-5	vs. Texas A&M

Georgia and Alabama are in the playoff, pending the result of the SEC Championship game. If Ole Miss beats Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, they’ll make a New Year’s Six bowl. From there, Texas A&M would head to the Citrus Bowl. If Kentucky loses to Louisville, Mississippi State could get their spot in the Outback Bowl. The Cats would then drop in the pecking order, possibly to the Music City Bowl in Nashville.

I’m all for BBNashville, but let’s beat Louisville and eat some Bloomin’ Onions in Florida instead.