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If some of the major news outlets are correct with their projections, there won’t be an SEC team in the 22nd annual Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl this year.
Several prognisticators say the SEC will fail to have enough bowl eligible teams for the Dec. 30 game (3 p.m., ESPN) at Nissan Stadium.
The Music City Bowl’s tie-ins match an SEC team against a team from either the ACC or Big Ten provided each conference has enough teams that are bowl eligible.
Heading into the final week of the regular season only three SEC teams that are not in contention for the college football playoffs or a New Year’s Six bowl are bowl eligible — Texas A&M (7-4), Tennessee (6-5) and Kentucky (6-5).
Texas A&M and Tennessee could also be invited to New Year’s Six bowls.
Mississippi State (5-6) must beat Ole Miss Thursday to become bowl eligible.
Missouri’s postseason bowl ban was upheld Tuesday by the NCAA.
With that being the case, Yahoo Sports, Sporting News, Bleacher Report and Athlon Sports all predict there will not be an SEC team in the Music City Bowl meaning teams from other conferences will be invited.
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Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg projects Louisville (7-4) will play Alabama-Birmingham (8-3) from Conference USA in the Music City Bowl.
Sporting News’ Bill Bender has Pitt (7-4) playing Florida International (6-5) from Conference USA, Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has Miami (6-5) playing San Diego State (8-3) from the Mountain West Conference and Athlon’s Steven Lassan has Wake Forest (8-3) playing Indiana (7-4).
Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt yells to players during a game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 (Photo: Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel)
Sports Illustrated’s Michael Shapiro and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm predict Tennessee (6-5) will be in the Music City Bowl. Shapairo says the Vols will play Wake Forest while Palm says they will play Louisville.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura both say the SEC will be represented in the Music City Bowl by Kentucky (6-5). Schlabach has the Wildcats playing Miami and Bonagura has them playing Pitt (7-4).
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USA Today’s Erick Smith and Stadium’s Brett McMurphy both predict Mississippi State will be in the Music City Bowl. Smith said the Bulldogs will play Virginia (8-3) and McMurphy said the opponent will be Louisville.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
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