Citrus Bowl: Texas vs. Michigan, 3 p.m., Wednesday; TV: ABC
Today’s Citrus Bowl is a rare bowl these days between top-25 teams that won’t feature too many opt outs. Texas and Michigan are led by high-profile young quarterbacks in Arch Manning for the Longhorns and Bryce Underwood for the Wolverines, and both are expected to play.
Biff Poggi will lead the No. 17 Wolverines as interim coach with Kyle Whittingham waiting in the wings after a tumultuous month following the firing of Sherrone Moore. All that upheaval has the 14th-ranked Longhorns as 7-point favorites (per BetMGM), and it’ll take a brave soul to pick the Wolverines in this one.
Writers from the Detroit Free Press and Longhorns Wire, both part of USA TODAY Co., provided their predictions for today’s Citrus Bowl (3 p.m., ABC) in Orlando.
∎ Texas 26, Michigan 20: Michigan players have sounded confident all week about their prospects against Texas. Poggi earlier said he ‘loved’ the offensive game plan the team is entering with. There’s really nothing to hold back at this point and U-M should be extremely aggressive in every way. That said, the Wolverines haven’t been able to stack up against the top teams they’ve played this year, falling to all three ranked opponents by double digits. This one will be a bit closer, but not enough to get over the hump.— Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press
∎ Texas 31, Michigan 23: The Kyle Whittingham era begins! Well, sort of. The Wolverines’ new coach will function as an observer and his team will be without its best pass rushers. That’s going to severely hinder Michigan’s ability to get to Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who should win his Citrus Bowl duel with Bryce Underwood. — Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press
∎ Texas 31, Michigan 21: The Wolverines were 9-3 but didn’t beat anybody and got trucked by Ohio State. Meanwhile, Texas had three top-10 wins. So, on paper, it’s not even close. I wouldn’t be shocked if Texas blows out Michigan. But in many ways, this game is secondary. The real value is for Kyle Whittingham, who gets to watch his new team up close. The practices. The prep. The game. And the aftermath. He can decide what players and coaches he must keep. Even more importantly, what he needs from the portal to succeed quickly. — Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press
∎ Texas 31, Michigan 20: The Longhorns have found their way to the final game of a disappointing 2025 season. Despite that, they have a chance to lock up their 10th win, something that felt nearly impossible not long ago for the Longhorns. This is a game that will feature tons of young players, as is the case in most bowl games. Texas has a chance to get the young OL, RBs, WRs and LBs more time in this one. With Michigan somewhat in disarray, I think the Longhorns are able to take over this one. I expect Arch Manning to shine, the young WRs to flash, Bryce Underwood struggle at times against the Longhorns pass rush and Texas to get a rather comfortable win over the Wolverines. — Tommy Bresee, Longhorns Wire
∎ Texas 24, Michigan 20: While the Longhorns have only been out of action for a few weeks, their roster will look very different due to players entering the portal and declaring for the draft. The Longhorns enter this matchup on a two-game winning streak in which the offense has shined. They will need a big game from Arch Manning and Ryan Wingo. If the Longhorns can replicate their performance against Texas A&M, they should win this game. — Jamie Gatlin, Longhorns Wire
∎ Texas 27, Michigan 17: Never in history have so many players (and teams) opted out of bowl games like this year. It makes picking games tough. Here’s what we know. Arch Manning looked very solid at the end of the season and if we’re being honest, the Horns should have been in the CFP instead of teams like James Madison and Tulane. Before the break, Texas looked better than Michigan. But some of the weaknesses of this Longhorns team have gotten worse. A historically bad running back corps has lost its starter and primary backup to the portal. The defense will be patchwork at best. But can Michigan’s offense take advantage? — Trey Luerssen, Longhorns Wire
When is Michigan vs Texas Citrus Bowl today, TV channel?
When: 3 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 31
Where: Orlando, Fla.
TV: ABC
