ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Michigan-Texas bowl game
By David Wasson
Published:
The Michigan Wolverines have seen a decade’s worth of turmoil in the last month but can put a positive note on what has been a season to forget on New Year’s Eve when they take on the Texas Longhorns in the Citrus Bowl (3 pm ET, ABC).
ESPN’s FPI has predicted the outcome of the Michigan-Texas Citrus Bowl matchup, with the Longhorns given a 57.4% chance to win.
Michigan (9-3) has endured a season’s worth of gloating from arch-rival Ohio State after the Buckeyes won the College Football Playoff national title, then lost to the Buckeyes again in the regular season finale and then fired coach Sherrone Moore for cause after revelations of Moore’s extramarital affair with a staffer.
Texas, on the other hand, had CFP aspirations – only to lose to Ohio State in its season opener, fall to unranked Florida and also to Georgia as part of a 9-3 season.
Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood has passed for 2,229 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 along with 323 rushing yards on 74 carries and five more touchdowns. His counterpart, Texas quarterback Arch Manning, struggled at times under preseason Heisman Trophy hype but passed for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Texas and Michigan have only played twice prior to the Citrus Bowl, with the Longhorns going 2-0 – a 38-37 victory in the 2005 Rose Bowl and a 31-12 victory in Ann Arbor in 2024.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
