Kentucky playing Pitt in Birmingham bowl game

Pittsburgh and Kentucky will meet in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 8. Pittsburgh (7-5) finished in a three-way tie for the Big East title. The Panthers have had a disappointing season after opening ranked 15th and favored to win the Big East Conference. Kentucky is 6-6 after losing to Tennessee in the regular-season finale, but won only two SEC games. The Wildcats have been to five straight bowls. The Big East's representative has won all four previous bowl games in Birmingham, formerly the PapaJohns.com Bowl. That includes last year's 20-7 Connecticut victory over South Carolina. This is Kentucky's third bowl game in Birmingham's Legions Field. Wildcats coach Joker Phillips played in the Hall of Fame Bowls in both 1983 and 1984.