Week 4 Bowl Projections: Kentucky enters the scene

College football season is well underway, and the countdown to the 2019 Citrus Bowl continues in Orlando.

Though the Citrus Bowl has been a traditional Big Ten/SEC match-up for more than two decades, last season’s game featured the Notre Dame fighting Irish, the second participant affiliated with the ACC since 1992. Notre Dame’s appearance against LSU (a 21-17 Fighting Irish victory) was the result of the Citrus Bowl’s unique relationship with the Orange Bowl in Miami.

In years where the Orange Bowl hosts a Big Ten team (like last season, when it featured Wisconsin), the Citrus Bowl replaces its traditional Big Ten pick with the top non-Playoff selection from the ACC. This season, the Orange Bowl is hosting a CFP semifinal game, meaning the Citrus Bowl is guaranteed to host a Big Ten-SEC matchup.

Here’s a look at the media’s Citrus Bowl picks after Week 4:

Mitch Sherman (ESPN): Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Kyle Bonagura (ESPN): Michigan vs. Auburn
Eric Single (Sports Illustrated):  Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Jason Kirk (SBNation): Wisconsin vs. Kentucky
Jerry Palm (CBS Sports): Wisconsin vs. Auburn
Brant Parsons (Orlando Sentinel): Wisconsin vs. Kentucky
CollegeFootballNews.com: Iowa vs. Auburn
247 Sports: Michigan vs. Kentucky
Brent McMurphy (Stadium): Wisconsin vs. LSU

Wisconsin vs. Auburn

• The Badgers and Tigers have faced each other on four previous occasions, with Wisconsin leading the series 2-1-1.
• The two teams faced off in the 2005 Citrus Bowl. The Badgers won the game 24-10.
• This would mark Auburn’s sixth appearance in the Citrus Bowl. The Tigers are 3-2 all-time when playing in the Citrus Bowl.
• Wisconsin has made three previous trips to the Citrus Bowl with a record of 2-1 in their three appearances.

Wisconsin vs. Kentucky

• The Badgers and Wildcats have only met once, in the 1984 Hall of Fame Classic. Kentucky won the game 20-19
• Kentucky has never played in the Citrus Bowl and has not won a bowl game since the Wildcats defeated East Carolina in the 2009 Liberty Bowl.
• Kentucky has started the season 2-0 in the SEC for the first time since 1977 and is ranked in the AP Top-25 for the first time since 2007.

Michigan vs. Auburn

• These programs have only met twice before, with the series knotted at one game each.
• The most recent time the Wolverines and Tigers met was in the 2000 Citrus Bowl. Michigan won the game 31-28.
• The Wolverines have made five Citrus Bowl appearances with the most recent coming in a 41-7 win over Florida in the 2015 game.

Iowa vs. Auburn

• This matchup would be the first time that these two programs have met on the gridiron.
• Iowa has only made one previous appearance in the Citrus Bowl – a 30-25 victory over LSU on a last-second hail mary in the 2005 Citrus Bowl.

Michigan vs. Kentucky

• The Wolverines and the Wildcats have not met in over a century.
• The only time these two programs met was in 1908 when the University of Kentucky was known as Kentucky State College.
• Michigan won the game 62-0.

Wisconsin vs. LSU

• The Badgers and Tigers have previously met four times, and LSU leads the all-time series 3-1.
• The two programs last faced each other in a 2016 kickoff game at Lambeau Field. The Badgers won the game 16-14.
• This would be LSU’s third consecutive Citrus Bowl appearance.