Who would have thought this was possible three weeks ago? After a disastrous 10-game SEC home losing streak and a 0-5 conference record, Kentucky football is now on a three-game heater and sits just one win away from bowl eligibility.
Thanks to a softer back-end schedule, the Cats have generated real momentum.
The SEC is loaded with 10 bowl-eligible teams already, with Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Auburn all fighting for the final spots. Florida, South Carolina, and Arkansas are all officially eliminated unless special circumstances arise.
So, where does that leave the Cats? Assuming they get that sixth win, here are our latest projections for the entire conference.
2025-26 SEC bowl projections
College football playoff teams
Texas A&M
Georgia
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Alabama
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl (vs. Big Ten)
- Projection: Vanderbilt
SEC "Pool of Six" Assignments:
- TaxAct Texas Bowl (vs. Big 12) Projection: Texas
- Duke's Mayo Bowl (vs. ACC) Projection: Missouri
- AutoZone Liberty Bowl (vs. Big 12) Projection: Tennessee
- TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (vs. ACC) Projection: LSU
- TransPerfect Music City Bowl (vs. Big Ten) Projection: Kentucky
- ReliaQuest Bowl (vs. Big Ten) Mississippi State
No bowl eligible teams: Gasparilla Bowl, Birmingham Bowl
A trip back to Nashville for the Music City Bowl would be a fantastic reward for a team that was 0-5 in the SEC and looked completely lost just a month ago.
Kentucky is on the road the rest of the year, after knocking off Tennessee Teach 42-10 Saturday at Kroger Field. They will first head to Nashville with a chance to play spoiler to Vandy's CFP hopes, then head to Louisville who had their CFP playoff hopes vanquished with a loss to Clemson.
Can they Cats find one win in the last two to get back to a 9th bowl game in 10 years?
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion