CBS Sports predicts Michigan football vs. Alabama in Citrus Bowl

Michigan football has played against the SEC in the state of Florida in non-College Football Playoff games each of the past two seasons, with a win over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl in 2024 and a loss to Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in 2025.

And if the Wolverines can't get into the CFP in Kyle Whittingham's first year, why not run both of them back, in a way? That's the prediction that CBS Sports' Brad Crawford has.

Crawford is the resident bowl game prediction guru over at CBS Sports and he made a full list anticipating where each team would end up at the end of the season. Though his first projection had the Wolverines in the 12-team invitational, he had since reversed course and put them into a traditional bowl game -- the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Alabama. He's continuing that theme, still predicting the Wolverines and Crimson Tide will face each other in Orlando this postseason.

He explained why he's not disrespecting the maize and blue:

Out of respect for Curt Cignetti's proven ability to evaluate, sign and develop, Indiana was the initial call to repeat as Big Ten champions and get back to the Rose Bowl. But the Ducks now have a slight edge coming out of spring. Ohio State, USC, and are the others within the conference capable of becoming extreme noisemakers near the top of the polls, however.