The Alabama football team won’t be competing in the College Football Playoff this postseason, instead drawing the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.
When Alabama and Michigan meet on the first day of the New Year, the Citrus Bowl will be on the line. And it’s not every week you see an SEC-powerhouse take on an elite Big Ten program, particularly if it’s the regular season. Luckily, bowl season guarantees these interconference matchups and will present Alabama vs. Michigan on New Years Day at 1 p.m. ET in Orlando, Fla.
Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is coming off the most disappointing season he’s had at Alabama since 2014 when the Tide also dropped two games. For other programs, a 10-2 record is a dream season. But in Tuscaloosa, championships are the bar, and the Crimson Tide have fallen well-short in 2019. They haven’t packed up for the year just yet, though, so expecting a let-down in the Citrus Bowl would be unwise.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines on the cusp of their fourth 10-win campaign in five seasons. And although he can’t beat Ohio State, plenty of programs would welcome a leader who can string double-digit win seasons together. He’s familiar with the Citrus Bowl, too, having beaten Florida 41-7 in 2015 during his first bowl game coaching Michigan.
There’s already been players who’ve spoken out about playing or not playing in the Citrus Bowl, most notably Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy (will) and Terrell Lewis and Trevon Diggs (won’t). Michigan will be at full strength, save for star wide receiver Tarik Black who entered the transfer portal on Dec. 13. This will provide those looking toward the 2020 NFL Draft and the 2020 college football season something to tune in for — seeing the current talent one last time while getting a whiff of the future.
With all that in mind, let’s get into the first reason to watch the 2020 Citrus Bowl between Alabama and Michigan.