The Cats will go bowling, but where?

[WildcatRick]

Kentucky's 27-20 win over Vanderbilt Saturday was good news for UK fans and bad news for the Shreveport, La., Chamber of Commerce.

Had the Wildcats lost the game in Nashville and followed that by losing this Saturday at Georgia and Nov. 24 against Tennessee, they might well have fallen into the Independence Bowl, which is played in Shreveport. And nobody wants that.

Kentucky takes a record of 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC heading into a battle at Georgia, at 12:30 Saturday. The host Bulldogs come in 8-2 and 5-2. The game will be televised on the Lincoln Financial network.

The unfortunate part for the Wildcats is if they don't regain some of the execution and swagger that they had in mid-season, losses to Georgia and Tennessee are likely. Georgia and Tennessee are probably the two hottest teams in the SEC right now next to LSU.

But, again, because of the gritty win at Vandy, the worst Kentucky should do bowl-wise is the Liberty Bowl in Memphis or the Music City Bowl in Nashville. Apparently, because UK went to the Music City last year, it's likely the Liberty would get the Wildcats this time if it is between those two games.

http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/2849711

[Los Gatos]

Hmmm, don't think the author of this article is really up on things as they stand now. But first, is the State-Journal a Frankfort paper?

OK the article states that because UK went to the Music City last year it's likely UK would go to the Liberty instead of the Music City. Maybe, but I love to know his source for this information. I'm not aware anyone has expressed a preference.

Most experts expect the SEC to get two BCS bowl bids, LSU to the championship and GA to the Sugar bowl. He seems to think GA can only get a BCS bid by getting into the SEC championship game. Most experts disagree.

He states there is an outside side shot UK would get the Peach bowl at 7-5. At 7-5 UK is likely the most attractive them available for the Peach if two teams go to BCS bowls. (UGA -> Sugar, UF -> Capital, Ugly Orange - Outback, Auburn -> Cotton.)

Unless Miss St wins out, that leaves a bunch of 7-5 teams. With our fan following, UK would be preferred over the other 7-5 teams.

[The Old School JPS]

But first, is the State-Journal a Frankfort paper?


Yes.

The Music City Bowl has never had the same team there two years in a row, but I too wonder where the writer gets the notion that it won't happen. The Music City Bowl would be crazy to not take Kentucky again. I'm unaware of any rule that would preclude it. The SEC shouldn't have it; they sent South Carolina to the Outback Bowl two years in a row - with the same opponent (Ohio State) each year. Then in the next following two years, Florida played back to back in the Outback. Both Tennessee and Miami played in back to back years in the Peach/Chik Fil A Bowl recently. And it wasn't that far back that Ole Miss played in consecutive Independence Bowls. Same for Tennessee and Ohio State playing in back to back Citrus/Capital One Bowls (though further back) and Wisconsin played in each of the two most recent Capital One Bowls.

That being the case I can't see why the Music City Bowl would not take Kentucky for a second consecutive year if a more attractive bowl did not pick up the Wildcats. Has the league enacted a new rule recently?

[Chaz]

Well, the way I read the pecking order of selecting, if the MCB and the LB both list UK as their choice, then UK gets to decide which bowl they want. If you look back to last years selection process, I believe that the MCB and LB write down their choices in order of preference and if both name the same team as the 1st choice, the School gets to choose which bowl they want to go to.

I hope that they get at least the Catlanta bowl with MCB as last choice.

[Los Gatos]

Well, the way I read the pecking order of selecting, if the MCB and the LB both list UK as their choice, then UK gets to decide which bowl they want. If you look back to last years selection process, I believe that the MCB and LB write down their choices in order of preference and if both name the same team as the 1st choice, the School gets to choose which bowl they want to go to.

My understanding as well.

I hope that they get at least the Catlanta bowl with MCB as last choice.

Seems likely

[sardiscat]

Three employees of the MCB sat at the table next to where I was sitting at lunch a couple weeks ago. They were talking about UK and wanting bad for UK to return this year. Apparently UK had told them it was too early to make a committment because its options could change if UK won its last three games. They were scoffing at that, saying UK could also lose its last three games.