Michigan Football’s bowl game, SEC opponent officially revealed

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The Michigan Wolverines wrapped up the regular season with a 9-3 record. It wasn’t enough to get them into the College Football Playoff this season, but it did get them in the best non-CFP bowl game for the Big Ten.

Reported on Sunday afternoon by On3’s Brett McMurphy, Michigan will be taking on Texas in the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. The game will take place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, and will be televised on ABC. The news was later confirmed by the university.

“We are excited to take part in the 80th Citrus Bowl, a game that traditionally features some of the most storied programs in college football,” head coach Sherrone Moore said in a press release. “Our team is eager for the challenge of competing against Texas, and it is a great honor to represent the Big Ten on this stage. We look forward to the trip to Orlando and the opportunity to close out our season against a talented Longhorn squad led by Coach Steve Sarkisian.”

“Being selected to participate in the 80th annual Citrus Bowl against Texas is a tremendous honor for our program,” Athletics Director Warde Manuel said in the same press release. “We’re grateful to CEO Steve Hogan and the entire Florida Citrus Sports staff for the invitation, and we look forward to our time in Orlando during the holiday season. The Citrus Bowl has always been a valued partner of the Big Ten, consistently delivering one of the premier bowl experiences in college football. Our student-athletes and coaches are looking forward to the opportunity to participate against a tremendous opponent and represent Michigan on this prestigious stage.”

This was widely expected to be the case, as all the final bowl projections following the conference championships had Michigan playing Texas in this exact bowl game.

The Longhorns finished their season strong with a home win over then-No. 3 and undefeated Texas A&M, 27-17. That win got Texas to the nine-win mark as well, and capped off a regular season that also featured wins against two 10-win teams in Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

However, the Longhorns also dropped a tough one to the 4-8 Florida Gators. They also struggled at Kentucky in a 16-13 overtime victory, and at Mississippi State in another overtime win, 45-38. Overall, with a star quarterback in Arch Manning and skill players galore, a 9-3 regular season is viewed as a major disappointment for head coach Steve Sarkisian and company.

At the end of the day, this should be an exciting matchup that draws a lot of eyeballs on New Year’s Eve. This is the premier non-CFP bowl game for the Big Ten and SEC, and to have it be against two college football blue bloods makes it even better.

And while there are likely to be some Michigan fans out there that don’t want to see Texas for a second straight year, at least the Wolverines don’t have to play (and embarrass) Alabama for a third consecutive season.

We will have much more on Texas in the coming days. But for now, what do you think of this matchup? Let us know down in the comments below.

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