When the Michigan Wolverines learned their bowl assignment a month ago, life seemed so…simple. The loss to Ohio State was disappointing but not unexpected, while there were reasons for optimism given the strong recruiting class, growth of Bryce Underwood, and increasing stability under Sherrone Moore. What has transpired between then and now was unimaginable at the time, but here we are, with Kyle Whittingham planning to be present at the Cheez-It Bowl.
Wednesday’s contest is more like the closing
of a chapter than the start of a new one, but that does not diminish its importance. The Texas Longhorns were unable to back into the College Football Playoff, but are a good team who represents a chance to cap off a decent season at 10-3. With things finally starting to settle down, perhaps this might be a good way to close out 2025 with some much-needed positivity.
Cheez-It Bowl: No. 18 Michigan (9-3) vs. No. 13 Texas (9-3)
Date & Time: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 3 p.m. ET
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
TV/Streaming: ABC
Game One went to the Longhorns in 2024’s top-10 battle in Ann Arbor, though clearly the Wolverines were overranked coming out of the glories of 2023. The return leg of the home-and-home is scheduled for 2027, but smack dab in the middle of those comes this tilt at the Citrus Bowl. Now that Texas is in the SEC, perhaps it replaces Florida (2015, 2017, 2018) and Alabama (2019, 2023, 2024) as the latest far-too-familiar foe.
Offense: The last hurrah
While the Chip Lindsey experience did not quite materialize, the Michigan offense is probably even less dangerous without a full coaching staff in place. Underwood is surely going to want to use this game to charge into his sophomore season, but remember that this offense was barely top-50 (49th) on the year per SP+ after struggling down the stretch.
The matchup sets up to be strength-on-strength. Texas was 18th against conference opponents allowing 3.4 YPC, but just 82nd with 7.5 YPA. Obviously, Michigan would love to run the ball and will certainly try to do so, but the difference could come down to the young quarterback. With a month’s worth of practice and the looseness of a bowl game, maybe he will be able to take advantage under the Florida sun.
The Longhorns were just outside the top-20 defensively, but will be without key contributors like Anthony Hill, Liona Lefau, and Michael Taaffe, while the Wolverines will have most of its main pieces available. I would still anticipate this being a bit sloppy on offense with misfires and questionable play calls, but the good news is everything should look a lot different nine months from now (though hopefully more so in scheme than personnel).
Defense: Five Star State
Any mention of the Texas offense has to begin with Arch Manning, who has taken a different road than Underwood but still shares plenty of similarities. 2023’s top-overall recruit did not exactly set the world on fire in his first full season as a starter, though his 255.1 YPG and 16 passing touchdowns against Power Four opponents were both top-25 amongst quarterbacks nationally.
SP+ had the Longhorns’ offense just 38th, and while the No. 12 ranking might be a little flattering for the Michigan defense, there should be plenty of confidence in being able to control this Texas attack. What definitely helps is the absence of nearly every meaningful running back on the roster, which likely puts the fate of this game in Manning’s hands, similar to his five-star counterpart on the other sideline.
I would love to see Michigan’s defense brush off some of the struggles of the Ohio State game in this one. Third downs were a huge problem, and Julian Sayin was able to move the ball way too easily, getting plenty of easy looks with little pressure. Manning does have some mobility — so blitz with caution — but the core of this team needs to be a dominant defense that can help out its offense. Taking down a top quarterback prospect would spark the vibes heading into the offseason.
/shrug
This will be Michigan’s third Citrus Bowl in the past 11 seasons. While the beatdown of Florida following the 2015 season would be a welcomed encore, the stumble against Alabama to cap off the 2019 is more likely. Still, it is hard to forget last season’s date with the Crimson Tide which looked completely one-sided with opt outs and talent. Texas comes into the game as a touchdown favorite and the more “stable” team, but that might not mean much in a bowl game.
Even though this is a non-playoff event, it feels nice to watch some actual football after months of deciphering tweets and message boards. We have no idea what players, recruits, and coaches will be present in Ann Arbor next fall — let alone what the on-field product will look like — but optimism abounds. This game has minimal bearing on that, but bowls historically offer the chance to enter the offseason on a high note; no program could benefit more from that right now than Michigan.
