The game starts on ESPN2 while the Belk Bowl runs long.

This year’s Music City Bowl will feature the Tale of Two Wildcats, with the Northwestern Wildcats out of the Big Ten facing the Kentucky Wildcats out of the SEC on Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The game is on ESPN, but starting on ESPN2 and staying there until the conclusion of the Belk Bowl (live stream).

Northwestern has become one of the most reliable teams in the conference, making it into a bowl game in the past eight of 10 years, including each of the last three seasons. Kentucky hasn’t been such a consistent fixture during bowl season of late, but it is in its second postseason in a row after missing out on it five seasons in a row.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

• Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
• TV: ESPN2, then ESPN
• Streaming: WatchESPN
• Odds: Northwestern opened as 6.5-point favorites.

Northwestern vs. Kentucky news:

• Kentucky linebacker Denzil Ware will not play in the Music City Bowl game due to a “violation of team rules”.

Stoops declined further comment on why Ware will miss the game, but regardless, this is a big loss for an already-struggling UK defense.

Ware has racked up 12 sacks over the last two seasons from his outside linebacker spot. He also has 118 total tackles and 21 tackles for loss over that span

• Northwestern receiver Bennett Skowronek could be a difference maker against Kentucky.

Northwestern and Clayton Thorson spread the ball around to a number of targets this season, but sophomore Bennett Skowronek emerged as the most dangerous threat at wide receiver. After he caught Justin Jackson’s 12-yard touchdown pass to give Northwestern the lead in the eventual triple overtime win against Michigan State, Skowronek went on to add touchdown receptions against Purdue and Minnesota, giving him 5 on the season.

• Kentucky’s quarterback isn’t the most exciting, but he is efficient and doesn’t make many mistakes.

What makes Johnson more effective is his ability to keep defenses off balance with his legs. He's rushed for 518 yards this season (on 7.2 yards per attempt). He only has three 50+ yard rushing games, but the threat of Johnson scrambling is enough to at least force Northwestern defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz to prepare for it.

These two teams are meeting for just the second time

These two teams have only met one other time in program history, a 7-0 Northwestern win in 1928. Since then, Northwestern has become a solid contender among the Big Ten West, finishing the 2017 season 7-2 in the conference and on a seven-game winning streak.

Kentucky on the other hand, ranks a little lower among the SEC East, having finished the year 4-4 in conference play and 7-5 overall. They’ve lost their last two games and will be struggling to find their momentum with such a long break from the field.

Northwestern vs. Kentucky prediction:

Northwestern will end up finishing its season 10-3 with a win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. The Kentucky offense is shut down by a tough Northwestern defense and isn’t able to keep up on the scoreboard.

Be sure to check out all our bowl predictions here.

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College football's first bowl game was almost its last