Whew. What a month it has been since the Michigan Wolverines last were on the field. A loss to Ohio State spurred one of the most absurd time periods in the history of the program.
Alas, 66-year old and future Hall of Fame coach Kyle Whittingham is the new sheriff in town and is already down in Orlando courting his own team to ensure they stay in Ann Arbor in 2026. Meanwhile, Biff Poggi leads the team into the Citrus Bowl this week vs Texas, hoping to end the season on a high point despite the recent
chaos.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into the Top 25 matchup between two of the elite programs in college football.
Citrus Bowl: No. 18 Michigan Wolverines vs No. 13 Texas Longhorns
- Day: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025
- TV: ESPN
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Weather: 58 degrees, sunny
- Odds: TEX -7.5, O/U: 48.5
If you erase the off-field stuff, this game looks really similar to Michigan’s bowl game against Alabama last year — a former national championship favorite from the SEC with a star quarterback that is heavily favored against a Michigan team with little offensive flow.
A year ago, the Wolverines played that underdog card hard. Behind opt-outs from draft picks on the defensive side of the ball like Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, Michigan still managed to force three turnovers and get five sacks on Jalen Milroe. They held the Crimson Tide to only 68 rushing yards and 260 total in a 19-13 slugfest.
But unlike Alabama last season, Texas will be playing without several key players on both sides of the ball. Head coach Steve Sarkisian said the team could be without 20 scholarship players for this game. That could play a significant role in this game, specifically All-SEC standouts in safety Michael Taaffe, linebacker Anthony Hill, and defensive back Malik Muhammad. They’ll also be without both their leading running backs in Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter.
While those are some positives for the Wolverines, the off-field stuff could find its way into the minds of all on Michigan’s side in this game. The majority of the staff is coaching their final game at Michigan, and with the temptations that is the transfer portal, there very well could be players not giving it their all. Then you add in the fact that Arch Manning is playing in this game — he played great down the stretch with 17 total touchdowns to just two interceptions in the final seven games — and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
The way the Wolverines win this game is by stopping the run and then putting pressure on Manning on obvious passing downs. If Michigan wins up front, it should create some problems for Texas and have a shot to win. But without Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham, Michigan’s two top edge rushers who opted out, I’m skeptical about the Wolverines’ chances in this one.
This spread opened at 4.5 and expanded to 7.5. I’m steering clear of that with all the variables here. Instead, I’m leaning towards my thesis that Texas will move the ball and score as the Wolverines play catch up. At 47.5 points, I’ll take the over due to the players in the secondary the Longhorns will be without.
The play: o47.5 (-110)
Overall record: 34-33 (-.41 units)
CFP Games:
- No. 10 Miami Hurricanes vs No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes – ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Dec. 31
- The play: u42.5 (-110)
- No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders – ESPN, Noon ET, Jan. 1
- The play: ORE -2 (-110)
- No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide vs No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers – ESPN, 4 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
- The play: o48 (-110)
- No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels vs No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs – ESPN, 8 p.m. ET, Jan. 1
- The play: Miss +6.5 (-105)
