The showdown between the 7-5 Kentucky Wildcats and the 8-4 Clemson Tigers on Friday will be exciting for several reasons.
The first is straightforward. In a bowl season full of bizarre games with even stranger titles, this bowl features No. 22 Clemson, which has been one of the top programs in the country in recent years. Head coach Mark Stoop’s Kentucky team also closed the season with a win over No. 10 Louisville, indicating that this is a team capable of pulling off an upset.
There’s also the long-term implications of this game, though. The ACC is currently in turmoil after its 13-0 conference champion, Florida State, missed the playoffs. Now FSU doesn’t know if it wants to be a part of the ACC moving forward, and if the Seminoles leave, Clemson could very well be right behind.
If those two ACC juggernauts were to consider leaving, the SEC would be talked about as a natural fit.
That’s what Stoops was asked about in the lead-up to the Gator Bowl, but the Kentucky head coach didn’t want to get into it.
“I really would have no comment on that,” Stoops said, per On3. “I don’t want to be reckless. Once I say one thing, that will be national news. I’ll stay away from that and focus on this game. A lot of respect for Clemson. But we’re really focused on this game. I’ll let people with higher pay grades than me make those decisions.”
It’s worth noting that there was a report earlier this month from Dan Wetzel that there would be opposition to either Clemson or Florida State (or both) joining the SEC because the conference already has programs in Florida (Florida Gators) and South Carolina (South Carolina Gamecocks).
One has to wonder if the expansion-hungry Big 12 could come calling if the Tigers and Seminoles really do want out of the ACC. There’s also the Big Ten to consider. Now an 18-school conference with the westward expansion of Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, that conference could always determine that a great way to keep pace with the SEC is to go into “SEC country” to poach Clemson and Florida State.
Either way, Stoops doesn’t want to talk about it.
