Texas to face Big Ten opponent in prestigious bowl game after missing CFP
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Steve Sarkisian and Texas may still be feeling a bit snubbed by not being included in the recent College Football Playoff reveal, but the Longhorns arguably received the best-case scenario when it came to their bowl destination.
Arch Manning & Co. will venture to Tampa to face another blue blood in Michigan for the 80th edition of the Citrus Bowl.
This matchup between prestigious programs gives two teams that are both building towards greater 2026 campaigns an opportunity to take a statement victory into the offseason. Both sides enter this game at 9-3, meaning that the winner will also claim a 10-win campaign for its school.
The Wolverines and Longhorns have only met twice in history despite each being historic and nationally relevant programs. Both games have resulted in Texas victories, with UT winning the 2004 Rose Bowl by a score of 38-37 while Quinn Ewers led his 2024 squad into Ann Arbor and emerged with a convincing 31-12 result.
The young quarterback matchup of Arch Manning vs. Bryce Underwood will certainly draw headlines, as both signal-callers showed flashes of great potential in their first seasons as starters.
The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is set for a 3 p.m. ET kickoff on New Year’s Eve, with the game being broadcast by ABC.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
