Kentucky’s win at South Carolina didn’t just push the Cats to 4-1. It also dropped them squarely into the middle of bowl season chatter, where Big Blue Nation is already eyeballing destinations and matchups with a lot more confidence than most teams can claim in early October.
With two wins still needed to lock up bowl eligibility, Kentucky is showing up everywhere in the projection cycle. Most of the current guesses have the Wildcats headed to a lower- or mid-tier bowl, but that picture could shift fast depending on what happens over the next seven games. The Cats are likely to be favored only twice the rest of the way, at home against Vanderbilt and Louisville, though after road wins at Texas A&M and South Carolina, it’s hard to completely write them off anywhere.
ESPN’s Football Power Index says Kentucky has an 84.4% chance to reach six wins, along with an 8.3% shot at the College Football Playoff. That’s the kind of number that makes Saturday’s game against LSU loom even larger.
For now, the bowl guesses are all over the map. On3’s Brett McMurphy has Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Florida against Pitt on Dec.
- Three different projections land the Cats in the Music City Bowl on the same day: ESPN’s Mark Schlabach has them facing Minnesota, Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer picks Penn State, and Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan sees a Kentucky-Northwestern matchup.
A tier below that, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura sends Kentucky to Birmingham for a Dec. 29 meeting with Tulane in the Birmingham Bowl. CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford slots the Cats into the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Jan. 2 against UCF.
Kentucky Bowl Projections After Week 5
On3’s Brett McMurphy: Gator Bowl vs. Pitt (Dec. 30, 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN, EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL)
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura: Birmingham Bowl vs. Tulane (Dec. 29, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN, Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL)
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach: Music City Bowl vs. Minnesota (Dec. 30, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN)
Sports Illustrated: Music City Bowl vs. Penn State (Dec. 30, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN)
Athlon Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Northwestern (Dec. 30, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN)
CBS Sports: Liberty Bowl vs. UCF (Jan. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, Memphis, TN)
The bigger point is simple: any bowl at all would count as a real achievement for this team.
Kentucky also remains outside the AP Top 25 after the South Carolina win, and the result clearly didn’t move the needle there. The Cats are still outside the top 25 in the weekly FBS 138 rankings as well.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini has Kentucky at No. 26 for a second straight week, just behind Pitt at No. 24 and Northwestern at No. 25.
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson has Kentucky one spot lower at No. 27.
ESPN’s Football Power Index moved the Cats up two spots to No. 34.
Those rankings matter less as a final judgment than as a way to size up what Kentucky has faced and what still lies ahead. Here’s how each opponent on the schedule stacks up in the AP Poll and ESPN’s FPI:
DATE OPPONENT RESULT AP Poll Ranking ESPN FPI Ranking
Sat, Sep 5 vs Youngstown State W 45-13 N/A N/A
Sat, Sep 12 vs Alabama L 45-17 #6 #6
Sat, Sep 19 @ Texas A&M W 31-21 NR #14
Sat, Sep 26 vs South Alabama W 45-21 NR #100
Sat, Oct 3 @ South Carolina W 35-34 OT NR #38
Sat, Oct 10 vs LSU TBD #10 #8
Sat, Oct 17 @ Oklahoma TBD NR #21
Sat, Oct 24 vs Vanderbilt TBD NR #53
Sat, Nov 7 @ Tennessee TBD #15 #10
Sat, Nov 14 vs Florida TBD #16 #15
Sat, Nov 21 @ Missouri TBD #14 #18
Sat, Nov 28 vs Louisville TBD NR #36
In Other News...
Dan Issels New Book Revisits The Kentucky Years That Shaped Him
Dan Issels connection to Kentucky has never really faded, and his new book puts that part of his story back in the spotlight. The former Wildcats star and NBA legend has released Dan Issel: From Kentucky Wildcat to NBA Legend, a title that traces his path through basketball while also looking at the personal challenges that came with it. For Kentucky fans, it is another reminder of how deeply Issels name is woven into the programs history.
The book is built around more than the highlights, revisiting the years in Lexington that helped shape him as a player and as a person. Issel is set to sign copies in Lexington on Oct. 22, giving Wildcats supporters a chance to reconnect with one of the most influential figures to wear the jersey. For a fan base that still measures its history by the people who defined it, this one carries plenty of familiar weight. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys 2027 Recruiting Footprint Already Stands Out In The SEC
The early 2027 recruiting picture in the SEC is already shaping up to be a familiar race to lock down talent before anyone else can, and Kentucky has put together a footprint that stands out in a crowded conference. With 11 of the leagues 16 teams already owning top-25 national classes, the Wildcats are operating in a landscape where every region matters and every commitment helps define the first big impression of a cycle that is still very young.
For Kentucky, the balance has been especially notable, with a class built to reach beyond state borders while still maintaining a foothold at home. The Wildcats have landed one of the SECs more compact recruiting footprints so far, and their class is being anchored by a headliner from Illinois who gives the staff an early boost at the games most important position. [Read more 🡒]
Henry Boyer Has Become Kentuckys Most Unexpected Red Zone Threat
Henry Boyer has spent most of this season doing the unglamorous work Kentucky asks of its tight ends, lining up to block and helping the offense function in the run game and in protection. But when the Wildcats have needed a finish near the goal line, he has quietly become one of the more reliable options on the roster, turning limited targets into meaningful production and giving Kentucky a different kind of threat in tight spaces.
The biggest clue came in spots that mattered, from an early touchdown against Alabama to a crucial grab that helped swing momentum against Texas A&M. For a player whose primary job is usually to clear lanes for others, Boyers knack for showing up as a receiver has added a wrinkle Kentucky did not necessarily advertise, and it leaves the Wildcats with an intriguing piece to keep using as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]