There have been several projections on Michigan's bowl game and opponent. Recent ones have the Wolverines playing Auburn, perhaps even Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. Others have U-M in the Holiday Bowl (Dec. 27) against Washington or USC.
From what we're hearing, it's 99 percent the Wolverines will play in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl (sponsored by TaxSlayer.com). It could well be an SEC opponent ... if we had to guess, Tennessee will be the foe.
The selection process is as follows: The CFP rankings determine the playoffs and NY6 games, and the Citrus Bowl gets the No. 1 pick of any remaining SEC teams. They’ll probably take Alabama.
Once the Citrus Bowl makes its pick, the SEC, in conjunction with the bowls and schools, slots the remaining teams to the Outback, Gator, Music City, Belk, Texas and Liberty Bowls. According to the Tennessee site, the Vols "hoped to play in Tampa in the Outback Bowl, with Auburn headed to Orlando, but the Tigers could now grab that spot with a season-ending win over Alabama and a fan base that historically travels quite well. A matchup against Penn State seems possible.
"If a bunch of upsets happen on Championship Weekend, there’s an outside shot, albeit short, for Auburn to make a NY6 game. Tennessee could still end up in Tampa, but it seems much less likely than it did over the weekend.
"The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville remains the most realistic possibility, but if the Outback Bowl is off the table, suddenly the Music City Bowl could make an ardent case (especially with the financial impact) to keep the Vols at home for the holidays. Several new projections (CBS and SI) have the Vols in Nashville playing a team like Wake Forest."
So we'll see what happens with that scenario. Right now, however, we are pretty confident the Wolverines play in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee or someone else.
From what we're hearing, it's 99 percent the Wolverines will play in the Jan. 2 Gator Bowl (sponsored by TaxSlayer.com). It could well be an SEC opponent ... if we had to guess, Tennessee will be the foe.
The selection process is as follows: The CFP rankings determine the playoffs and NY6 games, and the Citrus Bowl gets the No. 1 pick of any remaining SEC teams. They’ll probably take Alabama.
Once the Citrus Bowl makes its pick, the SEC, in conjunction with the bowls and schools, slots the remaining teams to the Outback, Gator, Music City, Belk, Texas and Liberty Bowls. According to the Tennessee site, the Vols "hoped to play in Tampa in the Outback Bowl, with Auburn headed to Orlando, but the Tigers could now grab that spot with a season-ending win over Alabama and a fan base that historically travels quite well. A matchup against Penn State seems possible.
"If a bunch of upsets happen on Championship Weekend, there’s an outside shot, albeit short, for Auburn to make a NY6 game. Tennessee could still end up in Tampa, but it seems much less likely than it did over the weekend.
"The Gator Bowl in Jacksonville remains the most realistic possibility, but if the Outback Bowl is off the table, suddenly the Music City Bowl could make an ardent case (especially with the financial impact) to keep the Vols at home for the holidays. Several new projections (CBS and SI) have the Vols in Nashville playing a team like Wake Forest."
So we'll see what happens with that scenario. Right now, however, we are pretty confident the Wolverines play in the Gator Bowl against Tennessee or someone else.
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