Michigan Football's Bowl Game Opponent is Becoming Evident

The Ohio State Buckeyes visited Ann Arbor and handed the Wolverines a 27-9 defeat, officially ending Michigans College Football Playoff hopes. This loss points toward a matchup against an SEC team in the Citrus Bowl.

The Citrus Bowl selections occur after the CFP committee finalizes its participants and the other New Years Six bowls have set their teams. Once the remaining teams are confirmed, the Citrus Bowl receives the first choice from the SEC and Big Ten conferences. By this standard, Michigan stands as the top Big Ten team outside the playoff picture, since USC remains contractually tied to Pac-12 bowl games through 2025 due to prior agreements established before the Pac-12s restructuring.

Based on current projections, several outlets have indicated potential opponents for the Wolverines on New Years Eve:

• Sports Illustrated (Bryan Fischer): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas
• ESPN (Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas
• On3 (Brett McMurphy): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas
• CBS Sports (Jerry Palm): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Vanderbilt
• Athlon Sports (Steve Lassan): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas
• College Football News (Pete Fiutak): Cheez-It Citrus Bowl vs. Texas

Most analysts expect Michigan to face Texas at 3 p.m. ET on December 31 in Orlando, Florida. The rationale is straightforward: Michigan is the highest-ranked Big Ten team not in the CFP, and the Citrus Bowl selects that team to represent the conference. The opponent will come from the SEC, which is where predictions vary. Initially, Vanderbilt, Texas, and Tennessee were all considered contenders for the SEC slot. Following rivalry week, Texas emerged as the likely choice.

Despite CBS Sports projecting Vanderbilt, the Commodores are anticipated to play in the Gator Bowl as the top SEC team left out of the playoff after defeating Tennessee. Unless the CFP committee prioritizes Texas victory over Texas A&M as a stronger metric, Vanderbilt should remain the higher-ranked team. Texas win over former No. 3 Texas A&M was notable, but their three losses exclude them from playoff contention. Meanwhile, Tennessees loss to Vanderbilt removes them from Citrus Bowl consideration, leaving their possibilities limited.

This setup means Michigan could face Arch Manning and Texas in a rematch of last seasons lopsided game, where the Longhorns defeated Michigan 31-12 in Ann Arbor. A Michigan-Texas Citrus Bowl could become the most-watched non-playoff game of the season, generating significant excitement for fans.

Author: Sophia Brooks