(CBS-DETROIT) – Michigan will face No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
The New Year’s Eve meeting is a repeat of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, where Michigan came out on top 27-20 in overtime on its way to an eventual national championship.
The defending champion Wolverines (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) are on a two-game winning streak, including a 13-10 upset win over rival Ohio State to end the regular season, while the Crimson Tide (9-3, 5-3 SEC) became the first team to be eliminated from the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs.
“We are excited and honored to represent the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa,” first-year Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said in a news release. “This is a great opportunity for our team to close out the season against an excellent SEC opponent in Alabama. We look forward to competing against Coach Kalen DeBoer and his highly ranked Crimson Tide.”
It is Michigan’s seventh appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, formerly known as the Hall of Fame Bowl (1986-1995) and Outback Bowl (1996-2022), and its 53rd bowl appearance of all time. Michigan’s last ReliaQuest Bowl appearance came during the 2017 season and resulted in a 26-19 loss to South Carolina. The last victory in the Tampa bowl game was a 38-30 victory over Florida in the 2002 season.
Michigan and Alabama have met twice before in Tampa, with the Wolverines taking the 1988 edition and coming out on the losing side in the 1997 game. In total, the two sides have met five times during bowl season, with Michigan holding a 3-2 series lead.
The Wolverines are 26-13-1 all-time against SEC opponents.
Earlier this week, Michigan broke up with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell. Tight Ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, is at noon.
