3 early bowl predictions for Kentucky Wildcats

College football bowl projections are here, and the Kentucky Wildcats crack the list of those playing an extra game at the end of the season.

The Cats have had a strong last few seasons behind Will Levis, competing in bowl games in each of his seasons. NC State standout Devin Leary, along with former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen, will now take over the offense and try to get this program back to double-digit wins, previously done in the 2018 and 2021 seasons.

But, in a challenging SEC, getting to any bowl game is a challenge, and the early projections have Kentucky landing in one of the less attractive bowls.

The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy has the Cats and TCU Horned Frogs competing in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, which is set to take place on December 29. The Horned Frogs were beaten by Georgia in the National Championship game last season but did beat Michigan 51-45 in the national semifinal, so this would be a big-name opponent for Kentucky.

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Elsewhere, CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm also has Kentucky in the Liberty Bowl but against Texas Tech, another Big 12 program. The Red Raiders are coming off an eight-win campaign that included a Texas Bowl win over the SEC’s Ole Miss Rebels.

Finally, 247 Sports’ Brad Crawford has a bit of a basketball-flavored matchup, projecting the Cats and Duke Blue Devils to battle in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Duke is coming off a 9-4 season that featured a win over UCF in the Military Bowl.

As for oddsmakers, DraftKings Sportsbook has Kentucky in a tie for the 25th-best odds to win it all this season.

The Cats have been to a bowl game in seven straight seasons, losing in the Music City Bowl last season. That snapped a four-year win streak in bowl games for Stoops, winning the Citrus Bowl twice, the Gator Bowl, and the Belk Bowl during that span.

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