AUSTIN, Texas — If the current College Football Playoff committee rankings hold when the 12-team playoff field is announced on Sunday at 11 am CT, Texas will be headed to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 31 at 2 pm CT against Michigan.

The Citrus Bowl is contractually obligated to take the highest-ranked SEC and Big Ten teams in the CFP rankings that do not make the 12-team CFP field.

Right now, that would be No. 13 Texas (9-3) and No. 16 USC (9-3). But USC (and the other former Pac-12 schools who joined the Big Ten in 2024 – UCLA, Oregon and Washington – aren’t eligible to play in bowls with Big Ten tie-ins until the 2026 season). So, the next-highest-ranked Big Ten team in the CFP rankings is No. 19 Michigan (9-3).

The Longhorns are 2-0 all-time against the Wolverines with the first win coming on a 37-yard Dusty Mangum field goal as time expired, securing a 38-37 win in the Rose Bowl capping the 2004 season. Vince Young ran 21 times for 192 yards (9.1 ypc), including touchdown runs of 20, 60, 10 and 23 yards while also throwing for 180 yards and one TD  pass of 11 yards to tight end David Thomas. On defense, linebacker Derrick Johnson, who won the Butkus (best linebacker) and Bednarik (best defensive player) awards in 2004, posted his school-record ninth forced fumble of the season against the Wolverines.

The second Texas win over the maize and blue came 20 years later as Texas went to the Big House in 2024 and knocked off the defending national champions, 31-12.  

The Wolverines came into last year’s game against Texas with a 41-3 record in their last 44 games, including a 16-game winning streak and a 23-game home winning streak. All of that came to a crashing end as Texas coach Steve Sarkisian dialed up plays executed brilliantly by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who finished 24-of-36 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover. Texas converted 8-of-10 third downs in the first half as Ewers picked apart Michigan’s defense and helped the Longhorns take a 24-3 halftime lead.

This season, Michigan’s best wins came at Nebraska, 30-27; at home against Washington, 24-7; and at Wrigley Field in Chicago in a 24-22 win over Northwestern. The Wolverines’ losses came at Oklahoma, 24-13, on Sept. 6; at USC, 31-13, on Oct. 11; and last Saturday at home against No. 1 Ohio State, 27-9, snapping a four-game winning streak against the Buckeyes.

Michigan made headlines in the off-season by landing talented freshman QB Bryce Underwood, who has completed 61.1% of his passes for 2,229 yards and nine TDs with six interceptions while running for five TDs.

The Wolverines want to pound you with their rushing attack, which averages 213.2 yards per game and is ranked No. 16 in FBS, led by sophomore RB Jordan Marshall (932 yards, 6.2 ypc, 10 TDs, 9 catches for 92 yards).

Michigan is averaging 27.6 points (71st in FBS) and only 185.8 yards per game through the air (105th in FBS). Junior Alabama transfer Justice Haynes had 857 yards rushing (7.1 ypc) and 10 touchdowns when he suffered a foot injury against Michigan State on Oct. 25 and then had surgery, knocking him out for the rest of the regular season. It’s unclear if Haynes would be medically cleared to play in the Citrus Bowl.

Freshman receiver Andrew Marsh of Katy (Texas) leads Michigan with 42 catches for 641 yards and three touchdowns.

Michigan’s defense, which is holding opponents to an average of 101.7 yards rushing per game (13th in FBS), is only allowing 18.7 points per game, which ranks No. 16 in FBS.