No. 13 Texas Longhorns Projected to Face Big Ten Opponent in Citrus Bowl

The Longhorns appear to be headed for a high-profile matchup vs some of the Big Ten's best.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore leads his team onto the field for the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Nov. 29, 2025. Ohio State won 27-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the latest College Football Playoff rankings, the Texas Longhorns overtook the Vanderbilt Commodores, a team they beat during the regular season, to move to No. 13 in the country.

While Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are still on the outside looking in for the playoff, they are projected to have a rather intriguing bowl-game matchup. On Wednesday morning, On3's Brett McMurphy predicted that Texas would be facing Michigan in the Citrus Bowl located in Orlando, Florida.

Just over a year ago, the Longhorns traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the 2023 national champion Wolverines — and left with a dominant 31-12 win that helped propel them to a College Football Playoff semifinal run.

Defenses Built on Stopping the Run

Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns defensive back Michael Taaffe (16) celebrates after the Kentucky Wildcats fail to score during overtime at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Both the Longhorns and Wolverines have excelled at stopping the run this year. With some of the best interior defensive linemen in the country on both sidelines, the result of the Citrus Bowl matchup could be defined by which offense takes a more aggressive approach in the passing game.

Texas ranks No. 10 in the country in total rushing defense, allowing 3.0 yards per rush, while Michigan ranks No. 13, allowing 3.1 yards per rush. While the Wolverines have performed better in pass coverage, the Longhorns have been more effective at pressuring the quarterback, recording 38 sacks this season. Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons leads both programs in sacks with 11.

Quintrevion Wisner has been the lead back for the Longhorns when healthy this season, totaling 597 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 131 carries. While the running back hasn't necessarily been dominant, he's coming off his best performance this season with 155 rushing yards on only 19 attempts against No. 7 Texas A&M.

For Michigan, it's been the typical split-backfield look that they seem to have every season. Both Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes have rushed for over 850 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those stats aren't too surprising for a team that runs the ball nearly 61% of the time. Stopping the Michigan run game will easily be one of the toughest challenges for Texas' defense if the bowl-game prediction holds true.

Which Way the Programs are Headed

Nov 28, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

If Texas is left out of the College Football Playoff, the focus will shift to building for next season. While the Longhorns are currently closer to a playoff appearance than the Wolverines, the current landscape of college football allows for extremely quick turnarounds with the transfer portal.

Indiana provided a strong example of this under head coach Curt Cignetti, who has likely taken the Hoosiers to a second playoff appearance in only two years.

Assuming most players participate, the Citrus Bowl is a great opportunity for both programs to figure out where they stand next season. For the Longhorns, reaching 10 wins for the third season in a row could help reinforce their position towards the top of the college football world—despite being left out of the playoff.

For Michigan, the bowl game is a chance to show that Sherrone Moore is indeed the right man to lead the Wolverines after their 27-9 loss to No. 1 Ohio State.