This holiday season, two of college football’s oldest and most storied blue-blooded programs will converge in Orlando for the Cheez-It Citrus and Pop-Tarts bowls.
No. 13 Texas (11-1, 7-1 SEC) and No. 18 Michigan (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) will meet for just the third time when the two teams face off at Camping World Stadium on Dec. 31 (3 p.m., ABC).
The two programs have combined for 16 national championships and five Heisman Trophy winners.
“We’ve never had Texas come play here,” said Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan. “The biggest brands on the planet come play here on the [Dec.] 31st. I would venture to guess the highest-rated game in the country might even outrate some CFP [College Football Playoff] games.”
Texas traveled to Ann Arbor last season, coming away with a 31-12 win over the Wolverines on Sept. 7. Before that meeting, the two programs clashed in the 2004 season’s Rose Bowl, with the Longhorns prevailing 38-37 on Jan. 1, 2005.
This would be the first time a Texas team has played in a postseason game in Orlando. The Longhorns outlasted UCF 35-32 in the inaugural match at Bounce House Stadium on Sept. 15, 2007.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning has a familiar tie to the game because his uncle Peyton played in the Citrus Bowl as the quarterback at Tennessee in 1995 and 1996.
“I am old enough to have been here for Peyton Manning’s game against [Ohio State’s] Eddie George in the 1996 Citrus Bowl. To think that maybe there’s another Manning who has an opportunity to put their name in our record books is cool and fun,” added Hogan.
Meanwhile, this is Michigan’s seventh Citrus Bowl appearance, but the first since a 35-16 loss to Alabama on Jan. 1, 2019. The Wolverines hold a 4-2 overall mark at Camping World Stadium.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 29. The Wolverines are making their seventh appearance in the Citrus Bowl. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
This is the 80th year for the Citrus Bowl, which began on Jan. 1, 1947.
No. 11 BYU (11-2, 8-2 Big 12), fresh off being the runner-up in the Big 12, makes its third postseason trip to Orlando but its first in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. The Cougars will face No. 22 Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) on Dec. 27 at 3:30 ET on ABC.
BYU is making its third postseason appearance in Orlando.
The Cougars lost to Ohio State 10-7 in the 1985 Citrus Bowl and, before that, lost to Oklahoma State 49-21 in the 1976 Tangerine Bowl.
The Yellow Jackets are making their third appearance in the game but the first since the 2004 season. The program is 2-0 with wins over Syracuse (2004) and West Virginia (1997).
The process took a little longer this time, following the news that Notre Dame had opted out of a bowl game this season.
“We have a selection in the ACC. We have a selection in the Big 12, and until we’re assigned the team pool that we select from, we can’t make a pick,” Hogan said of the final lineup of the game. “It took a lot longer than anticipated. We were on a call for a couple of hours, just working through exactly what that pool would be. As soon as they gave us the pool, we jumped at the chance to take Georgia Tech.”
Hogan was adamant that the Fighting Irish weren’t among the ACC teams available to select from.
“Notre Dame wasn’t in that pool when it came time to pick, so we were circling Georgia Tech here in this town,” he added.
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key spent nine seasons as an assistant coach under George O’Leary at UCF from 2006 to 2015.
USF and Old Dominion are set to face off in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Dec. 17 (5 p.m., ESPN).
It’s the first appearance by both programs in the bowl game.
South Florida (9-3, 6-2 American) spent five weeks in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, climbing as high as No. 18 before finishing fourth in the American Conference. The team is currently at No. 24 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Kevin Patrick took over as interim coach at USF after Alex Golesh left to take the head coaching job at Auburn on Nov. 30.
ODU (9-3, 6-2 Sun Belt) finished as runner-up in the East Division to James Madison. It’s the second bowl appearance in the past three seasons for the Monarchs, who have won five straight games to finish out the regular season.
“As we all know in the college football world how important it is to get 10 wins for the program, it’s very important for the teams as well,” said Orlando Sports Foundation executive director Alan Gooch. “The opportunity to play and be a part of a 10-win program is something you’ll never forget.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.