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Michigan
to Face
Alabama
in 2020
Vrbo
Citrus
Bowl in
Orlando
on New
Year's
Day
ORLANDO,
Fla. --
The
17-ranked
University
of
Michigan
football
team
will
play in
a
January
bowl
game for
the 39th
time in
school
history,
accepting
a bid to
participate
in the
Vrbo
Citrus
Bowl on
New
Year's
Day
against
No. 9
Alabama.
This
will be
the
Wolverines'
sixth
appearance
in the
Citrus
Bowl and
the
team's
first
appearance
since
coach
Jim
Harbaugh's
first
season
at
Michigan
(2015).
The
game
pitting
the
Wolverines
(9-3,
6-3 Big
Ten) and
Crimson
Tide
(10-2,
6-2 SEC)
will
kick off
at 1
p.m. EST
from
Camping
World
Stadium
in
Orlando.
The New
Year's
Day bowl
match-up
will be
televised
nationally
by ABC.
This
will be
the
fourth
meeting
between
Michigan
and
Alabama
during
the bowl
season,
with the
Wolverines
holding
a 2-1
advantage.
Michigan
claimed
victories
in the
1988
Hall of
Fame
Bowl
(28-24)
and 2000
Orange
Bowl
(35-34
OT),
while
Alabama
won a
17-14
affair
in the
1997
Outback
Bowl.
The only
regular
season
match-up
between
the two
programs
came in
the 2012
season
opener
at
Cowboys
Stadium,
a 41-14
victory
for
Alabama
in the
Cowboys
Classic
in
Arlington,
Texas.
U-M
heads
into the
Citrus
Bowl
looking
to
capture
10 wins
for the
fourth
time in
five
seasons
under
Harbaugh,
something
that has
not been
achieved
at
Michigan
since
1980.
After
dropping
the
conference
opener
to No.
13
Wisconsin,
the
Wolverines
won six
of their
final
eight
conference
games to
finish
third in
the Big
Ten East
Division.
The
Michigan
offense
is led
by
quarterback
Shea
Patterson,
the Big
Ten's
leader
in
passing
and
total
offense
during
the
conference
season.
Michigan's
defense
ranks
among
the top
30 in 11
defensive
categories,
including
fifth in
pass
defense
and
eighth
in total
defense.
The
Wolverines
had
three
first-team
All-Big
Ten
Conference
honorees
--
offensive
linemen
Jon
Runyan
and Ben
Bredeson
and
defensive
back
Lavert
Hill --
and had
15 total
players
earn
first,
second
or third
team
accolades.
The
Wolverines
have
been
ranked
in the
top 20
of the
national
polls
all
season
and
finished
14th in
the
College
Football
Playoff
rankings.
The
Alabama
Crimson
Tide
finished
second
in the
SEC West
Division
after
posting
a 6-2
conference
mark.
Led by
head
coach
Nick
Saban,
the
Crimson
Tide are
averaging
48.2
points
per
contest
while
yielding
18.8 per
game to
the
opposition.
The
potent
offensive
attack
is led
by
running
back
Najee
Harris
(1,088
yards,
11 TDs)
and a
group of
five
receivers
with six
or more
receiving
touchdowns,
which
includes
leaders
Jerry
Jeudy
(959
yards, 9
TDs),
DeVonta
Smith
(1200
yards,
13 TDs)
and
Henry
Ruggs
(719
yards, 7
TDs).
The Tide
defense
is led
by
defensive
back
Xavier
McKinney
(85
tackles)
and
linebackers
Shane
Lee (77
tackles)
and
Anfernee
Jennings
(73
tackles,
12 TFLs,
7.5
sacks).
Alabama's
only
setbacks
came
against
No. 2
LSU and
No. 16
Auburn
this
season.
The
Crimson
Tide
finished
No. 13
in the
College
Football
Playoff
rankings.
Michigan
Bowl
Game
History
•
U-M will
be
making
its 48th
all-time
bowl
appearance,
which is
the 11th
highest
total
all-time
among
FBS
schools.
•
Michigan
will be
making
its 39th
all-time
bowl
appearances
in the
month of
January.
•
Michigan
has
played
in 12
different
bowl
games
during
its
history
and has
21 bowl
wins,
which is
the 17th
highest
total
among
FBS
schools.
•
This
will be
the
fifth
meeting
between
the
Wolverines
and
Crimson
Tide on
the
gridiron,
with the
series
tied at
two wins
apiece.
Michigan
holds a
2-1
advantage
in bowl
games.
•
This
will be
Michigan's
36th
meeting
all-time
with a
Southeastern
Conference
school.
The
Wolverines
have
compiled
an
impressive
25-10-1
record
against
teams
that
currently
compete
in the
SEC.
•
This
will be
the 16th
time
that
Michigan
faces a
Southeastern
Conference
school
in a
bowl
game
(8-7
record).
The most
recent
bowl
match-up
against
an SEC
school
came in
the 2018
Peach
Bowl
(41-15
loss to
Florida).
•
U-M has
faced
off
against
a SEC
opponent
during
bowl
season
on 15
previous
occasions
with all
but the
1984
Sugar
Bowl and
2018
Peach
Bowl
games
being
played
in the
state of
Florida:
Citrus/Capital
One
(4-1),
Gator
(1-1),
Hall of
Fame/Outback
(2-3)
and
Orange
(1-0).
Ticket
Information
Tickets
for the
2020
Citrus
Bowl
will be
available
to the
public
on
Monday
(Dec. 9)
at 8:30
a.m.
Fans
interested
in
purchasing
tickets
through
the
athletic
department
can go
to
MGoBlue.com/tickets
for bowl
game
ticket
information.
Tickets
for the
Citrus
Bowl
range
from $90
to $137
per
ticket.
For
assistance
with
your
online
ticket
order,
please
contact
the
University
of
Michigan
Athletics
Ticket
Office
at (734)
764-0247
or email
mtickets@umich.edu.
Alumni
Association
Bowl
Game
Tour
The
Alumni
Association
of the
University
of
Michigan
is once
again
hosting
the only
official
University
of
Michigan
Citrus
Bowl
Tour.
There
are
several
tour
packages
available.
Information
and
registration
for all
packages
is
available
at
umalumni.com/bowltour.
Please
call
877-513-2320
with
questions
or to
make a
reservation
over the
phone.
The
Alumni
Association
will
also
host the
Alumni
Territory
Citrus
Bowl
Tailgate.
To
purchase
tickets,
go to
umalumni.com/tailgate.
Vrbo
Citrus
Bowl
Facts
Date:
Jan. 1,
2020
Time: 1
p.m. ET
Television:
ABC
Site:
Orlando,
Fla.
Facility:
Camping
World
Stadium
Capacity:
65,000
Surface:
FieldTurf
Website:
vrbocitrusbowl.com
Michigan's
Citrus
Bowl
History
(4-1)
Jan.
1, 1999
--
Michigan
45,
Arkansas
31
Jan. 1,
2001 --
Michigan
31,
Auburn
28
Jan. 1,
2002 --
Tennessee
45,
Michigan
17
Jan. 1,
2008 --
Michigan
41,
Florida
35
(known
as
Capital
One
Bowl)
Jan. 1,
2016 --
Michigan
41,
Florida
7
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