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With the College Football Playoff field set, everything else has fallen into line, including the Wolverines final destination for the 2019 season. And while Michigan won’t get to participate in the New Year’s Six for the third time in the Jim Harbaugh era, it looks like the maize and blue will still have a commensurate opponent.
While Michigan has long been out of the playoff picture, having lost two games before November, the same couldn’t be said for the Wolverines latest opponent, as the Alabama Crimson Tide were in the hunt all the way until its final game of the season — a close loss at Auburn. With its only loss other than that being to CFB Playoff LSU — another close loss — it was widely thought that Alabama could still sneak into the playoff, but with the offense being hampered by starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s season ending injury, the Crimson Tide didn’t just have the same cache, they also found themselves behind not only LSU, but also Georgia and Florida in the pecking order.
And now, the 9-3 Wolverines will take on Nick Saban and the 10-2 Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl in Orlando, according to Brett McMurphy from Stadium and Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN (though it has yet to be officially announced).
Alabama is now quarterbacked by backup Mac Jones, but also have a dynamic foursome at wide receiver, in DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Jaylen Waddle. And, at tailback, the Tide feature a name well-known to Michigan football fans that pay close attention to recruiting: former No. 1 running back Najee Harris, who chose Tuscaloosa over Ann Arbor in a last-minute decision.
Also, there’s the matchup of former Alabama co-offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and his former head coach in Saban. Gattis departed Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor this past offseason, nearly a year ago.
Of course, Michigan hopes that this game will either be more like a repeat of the Wolverines’ last game in the Citrus Bowl, in 2015, when the maize and blue routed Florida, or like the last time it faced Bama in a bowl game, in 2000, when Tom Brady led the Wolverines to a comeback, overtime victory in the Orange Bowl. The last time the two faced off, however, Michigan lost in a season-opening blowout at AT&T Stadium in 2012.
The VRBO Citrus Bowl takes place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 1 at 1PM EST and will be broadcast on ABC.