Michigan, Texas have plenty to prove in Citrus Bowl

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Few college football programs have the brand recognition and cache of Texas and Michigan.

Between the two, they’ve accumulated nearly 2,000 wins and have claimed 16 national championships. They’ve produced five Heisman Trophy winners and countless All-Americans.

Yet, when the Longhorns and Wolverines step on the field on Wednesday (3 p.m., ABC) for the 80th edition of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium, they both have plenty to prove.

Much to its dismay, No. 13 Texas (9-3) found itself left out of this year’s College Football Playoff. The Longhorns, instead, must settle for the chance for a third straight double-digit win season.

“For us, it is sending a message to the College Football Playoffs and the rest of the nation that we are a dominant football team and we are a physical football team,” said Texas offensive lineman Trevor Goosby. “Whether we should have been in or not, that is up to the College Football Playoff, but we are just here to send a message and dominate the game.”

No. 18 Michigan (9-3), meanwhile, is searching for its first double-digit win season since 2023. But more importantly, the Wolverines are trying to finish on a positive note following a postseason in which the program was embroiled in scandal and turmoil.

Coach Sherrone Moore was fired on Dec. 10 after a school investigation found that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Moore’s firing was the latest scandal to rock a program that already was dealing with an NCAA investigation into sign-stealing.

Michigan hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham this past weekend to get the program back on track.

“A win would be — it would be icing on the cake,” said Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi. “But the real win for us has been the way these kids have handled adversity, and the way they have come to practice every day — the way they have just had to isolate themselves from an onslaught of outside noise.”

Both teams will be dealing with what is becoming the new norm in college football: opt-outs.

Texas will be without as many as a dozen players, including crucial starters such as running back Quintrevion Wisner, receiver DeAndre Moore, edge Ethan Burke, linebackers Liona Lefau and Anthony Hill and defensive backs Michael Taaffe, Malik Muhammad and Jaylon Guilbeau.

“We had to adjust our practice format because of the numbers being down,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “You just don’t get to replenish the numbers when guys move on. When you look at 20-or-so-odd guys that are not with us that were with us throughout the season, at the end of the regular season, we had to adjust how we practiced.”

Michigan will also be without about a dozen players, including defensive end Derrick Moore, linebacker Jaishawn Barham and offensive guard Giovanni El-Hadi.

“Our number is probably more like 12 to 15 in actuality, but look, it is the Citrus Bowl and you are playing against the University of Texas, which was the preseason No. 1-ranked team in the country,” said Poggi. “If you can’t get excited about playing against Texas, then you might be in the wrong sport.”

Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.

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