Clemson-Kentucky Gator ranked as high as Top 15 in bowl rankings

Clemson's defense has been stout this season.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Dec 06 11:09:54 GMT-05:00 2023

A season that started No. 9 overall didn't project to Jacksonville's Gator Bowl preseason, but Dabo Swinney's Tigers made the most of the final third of the season after a 4-4 start to a four-game winning streak for better bowl positioning.

Clemson captured ranked wins over North Carolina and Notre Dame, as well as got right in the rivalry with a 16-7 road win at South Carolina. Kentucky salvaged its 7-5 season with a 38-31 win over No. 10 Louisville to wrap the regular season.

So, where do pundits rank the bowl matchup in the 41-game landscape?

The Washington Post places it No. 15 overall.

"The Tigers head to Jacksonville, Fla., for the holidays for the first time since the 2008 season, and they bring a four-game winning streak to the proceedings. That wouldn’t be a big deal normally, but considering Clemson was 4-4 at the end of October, it signifies some improved play. Kentucky struggled after its 5-0 start but did bounce Louisville in a rivalry game to finish the regular season 7-5, so the Wildcats enter on an uptick as well," Patrick Stevens said.

The Washington-Texas Sugar Bowl ranks No. 1 there.

Yahoo has the Gator Bowl ranked 20th.

"This is going to be a slobberknocker. Clemson hasn’t allowed more than 28 points in regulation all season and held North Carolina to 20 points in Week 12 and South Carolina to seven in Week 13. After losing five of six games entering the final week of the season, Kentucky scored the most points it had since Week 4 in a 38-31 upset win over Louisville," Nick Bromberg said, who ranks the Michigan-Alabama Rose Bowl as the top of the postseason.

CBS Sports has the game one spot back.

"I can't figure out the right spot for this game, so I essentially punted by putting it in the middle," CBS' Tom Fornelli writes. "I've seen plenty of both these teams, and that's more than enough. Clemson has disappointed, but should cruise in this one if it plays to its potential. That wasn't happening early this season, but the Tigers finished with four wins, including victories over Notre Dame and North Carolina. It's a testament to the job Mark Stoops has done at Kentucky that a 7-5 regular season feels like a disappointment, but that doesn't change the fact this was just that. The Wildcats started 5-0 before being blown to bits by Georgia. They never seemed to fully recover. What makes the game interesting is how is shapes the offseasons for both. A win has both teams feeling pretty good about themselves heading into 2024, but a loss would be bad for the vibes."

CBS breaks the tie and also has the Rose Bowl as the must-watch of the bowl season.

The ESPN broadcast kicks off at noon on December 29. Clemson is currently a 7-point favorite with an over/under set at 47.5 points.