Michigan football set to face Texas in Citrus Bowl

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Michigan football has an opportunity for revenge, and instead of waiting until 2027, it can get it now.

The Wolverines were on the cusp of a College Football Playoff bid, but with three losses — the final coming to Ohio State — the maize and blue couldn't make the 12-team invitational. But the same could be said of a Texas team that has some of the better wins in college football, but also some suboptimal losses.

Michigan was already revealed to essentially be a lock for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl; it just had to await its opponent. But on Sunday, with the CFP teams slotted in, the rest of the bowl matchups were revealed, and as it turns out, the Wolverines are playing the Longhorns for the second time in as many years, pitting Bryce Underwood against Arch Manning.

The Wolverines lost the last time they played UT, in the Week 2 matchup last year at The Big House. The previous matchup came in the Rose Bowl, when a Vince Young-led Texas beat the maize and blue in 2005 (following the 2004 season). This will be the third matchup between the two parties. The fourth (unless they meet again in the postseason next year) will come in Austin in 2027, the back-end of the home-and-home series.

Michigan is on a four-game postseason winning streak, starting with the win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2023, then beating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Washington in the national championship, and Alabama again in last year's ReliaQuest Bowl.

Press release

Michigan Football to Play Texas in Cheez-it Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve

ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 18 University of Michigan football team will face No. 13 Texas in the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl it was announced on Sunday (Dec. 7) during ESPN’s Bowl Selection Show. This will be the Wolverines' seventh appearance in the Citrus Bowl and the second time the program faces Texas in the postseason.

“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,” said Sherrone Moore, U-M’s J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. “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,” said Warde Manuel, U-M’s Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “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.”

The Cheez-it Citrus Bowl is held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game pitting the Michigan Wolverines (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) against the SEC’s Texas Longhorns (9-3, 6-2 SEC) will kick-off at 3 pm ET. The game will be televised nationally by ABC.

The Wolverines are seeking a 10th win for the 33rd time in school history and the fourth time in the past five seasons. Michigan has won five of its last six games entering the Citrus Bowl matchup with Texas. The Maize and Blue boast one of the nation’s top defenses, ranking 13th nationally in rushing defense (101.7 ypg), 16th in scoring defense (18.7 ppg), 19th in interceptions (13) and 22nd in total defense (213.3 ypg). Edge Derrick Moore earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and cornerback Zeke Berry and linebacker Jimmy Rolder were second-team honorees. Moore led the league in sacks (10.0) during the conference season while Berry was the Big Ten’s leader in passes defended (nine; eight PBUs and one interception). Rolder led the Wolverines with 69 tackles, including 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and one interception.

Michigan was led offensively by a ground game that lists among the best in the NCAA, ranking 16th at 213.2 yards per contest. All-Big Ten second-team selection Jordan Marshall (932 yards) and third-team honoree Justice Haynes (857 yards) led a potent rushing attack that saw a Wolverine surpass the 100-yard mark 12 times during the season. The balanced attack saw U-M gain 2,558 yards on the ground and 2,229 yards through the air behind freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood. The rookie completed 179-of-293 passes (61.1%) for 2,229 yards and nine touchdowns.

U-M has compiled a 4-2 mark all-time in the Citrus Bowl, with appearances in the 1999, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2016 and 2020 games. The Maize and Blue have earned victories against Arkansas (1999), Auburn (2001) and Florida (2008, 2016) and suffered setbacks to Tennessee (2002) and Alabama (2020).

This will be the second meeting between Michigan and Texas during the bowl season, with the previous matchup coming in the 2005 Rose Bowl Game. A back-and-forth affair between the Wolverines and Longhorns ended with a game-winning 37-yard field goal from Dusty Mangum as time expired to give No. 6 Texas a 38-37 win over No. 13 Michigan in the 91st Rose Bowl Game. Braylon Edwards led Michigan with 10 catches for 109 yards and three touchdowns to become the Big Ten’s career receiving TD leader (39). Chad Henne completed 18-of-34 passes for 227 yards and four TDs and kicker Garrett Rivas connected on field goals from 44, 32 and 42 yards for the Wolverines. Texas scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Following is some background on Michigan’s bowl game history:

·         The Wolverines will be making their 54th all-time bowl appearance, which is the 11th-highest total among FBS schools.

·         Michigan will be making its seventh all-time bowl appearance in the Citrus Bowl. The Wolverines have a 4-2 record in the game.

·         U-M’s last appearance in the Citrus Bowl came during the 2019 season, a 35-16 setback against Alabama on Jan. 1, 2020.

·         The Wolverines’ last victory in Orlando was during the 2015 season, a 41-7 win over Florida on Jan. 1, 2016.

·         U-M has a 0-1 record against Texas in bowl games, losing the 2005 Rose Bowl on a last second field goal, 38-37.

·         Michigan has played in 13 different bowl games during its history, including the CFP National Championship Game, winning 24 bowl matchups, which is the 17th-highest total among FBS schools.

·         This will be the 20th time the Maize and Blue face a Southeastern Conference school in a bowl game; compiled a 10-9 record.

·         This will be the 43rd overall time that Michigan faces an SEC school (27-14-1 mark).

·         This is the 21st time that Michigan has played a bowl game in the state of Florida (10-10 record).

Ticket Information

Donors and football season ticket holders who ordered bowl tickets during the priority request period will receive confirmation of their order via e-mail today (Sunday, Dec. 7). Tickets for the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl will be made available to the general public on Monday, Dec. 8, at 9 am by visiting MGoBlue.com/Tickets.

Cheez-it Citrus Bowl Facts

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025

Time: 3 pm

Television: ABC

Site: Orlando, Fla.

Facility: Camping World Stadium

Capacity: 60,219

Surface: AstroTurf

Website: cheezitcitrusbowl.com

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Wolverines set to face Texas in Citrus Bowl

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos