Music City Bowl 2017: Kentucky vs. Northwestern location, date, and more
The game starts on ESPN2 before moving to ESPN.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Stadium and city: Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
Date and time: Dec. 29, 4:30 p.m. ET
TV and streaming: ESPN and WatchESPN, but starting on ESPN2 before the conclusion of the Belk Bowl.
What should I know about the two teams in the Music City Bowl?
Northwestern (9-3, 7-2 in Big Ten)
And the Wildcats just keep chugging along, making bowl games. This makes three years in a row and eight of 10 for a program that’s entrenched itself in the upper-middle tier of the Big Ten West. Pat Fitzgerald’s team has become one of the most consistent in the conference.
This year’s team is built on defense. NU is particularly tough against the run, and it turns out being stout against the run is a good way to stop college football teams from scoring points. Quarterback play’s still an issue, and it’s not like Northwestern is going to rock your socks with a wide-open, exciting style of play. But the Cats are workmanlike and pretty tough inside.
For more on Northwestern, see SB Nation’s Inside NU.
Kentucky (7-5, 4-4 in SEC)
The Wildcats weren’t SEC East contenders because Georgia existed this season, and they didn’t beat Florida, even in the Gators’ worst year. That’s all normal Kentucky stuff.
But the Wildcats quietly did some good work this year, and their reward is a second consecutive bowl appearance after missing out five years in a row under both Joker Phillips and Mark Stoops. The program is recruiting well, too, although it’s hard to make a dent in the SEC, the most competitive recruiting league in the country.
For more on Kentucky, check out SB Nation’s UK site, A Sea of Blue.
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