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The final rankings are out, and the Kentucky Wildcats are standing pat in most of them, including the final College Football Playoff rankings.
The Wildcats will not be in the playoffs, but their 9-3 record has landed them a quality bowl game, as well as a top-15 finish in the final CFP rankings.
Kentucky checked in at the No. 14 spot, which means they will come up just short of making a New Year’s Six bowl.
This also means the Wildcats will likely face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Citrus Bowl.
Final CFP Rankings
1. Alabama Crimson tide
2. Clemson Tigers
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4. Oklahoma Sooners
5. Georgia Bulldogs
8. UCF Knights
10. Florida Gators
11. LSU Tigers
12. Penn State Nittany Lions
13. Washing State Cougars
14. Kentucky Wildcats
15. Texas Longhorns
16. West Virginia Mountaineers
17. Utah Utes
19. Texas A&M Aggies
20. Syracuse Orange
23. Missouri Tigers
24. Iowa State Cyclones
The final ranking once again shows just how loaded the SEC is, as five teams finished within the final top 15 of this ranking, and eight total teams made the top 25. Kentucky ended up going 3-2 against these teams, the losses being at home to Georgia and at Texas A&M in overtime.
To be ranked in this is a great accomplishment for a Kentucky team that was predicted by many to be below the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, and South Carolina Gamecocks in the SEC East. The Cats proved all their doubters wrong and ended the season 5-3 in conference with wins over Mississippi State and Florida as highlights of the 2018 season.
With the help of stud running back Benny Snell Jr. and the fierce pass rush of Josh Allen, 2018 was the first season in which Kentucky was even featured in the College Football Playoff rankings, which began in 2014. No matter what happens in the bowl game, Kentucky will finish in the ranking for the first time as well. They’ll also finish in the top 25 of every major poll.
This has been nothing short of an all-time great season for Kentucky, and there’s potential for more special moments to be made in whatever bowl game they ultimately play in.
As for the actual playoff, it will feature Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners and Clemson Tigers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish.