Texas Longhorns' Bowl Game Matchup Has Been Set

The Texas Longhorns won't be making the College Football Playoff this season.

Texas came in at No. 13 in the final College Football Playoff rankings and missed out on the bracket as an at-large team.

After receiving their official CFP fate, the Longhorns also found out which bowl game they will be playing in to close out the 2025 season.

Texas vs. Michigan

Per reports from On3's Brett McMurphy, No. 13 Texas will face the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando, FL. on New Year's Eve.

The Wolverines were already locked into the bowl game due to the SEC-Big Ten tie-in, and once Texas officially was left out of the bracket, the Longhorns' punched their ticket to Orlando as well/

The Longhorns beat Michigan in Ann Arbor last season, 31-12.

Texas Longhorns' Bowl Game Matchup Has Been Set#HookEm #TexasFight #ThisIsTexas https://t.co/MQL3GzZfBB pic.twitter.com/24k7IFbypI
— Texas Longhorns On SI (@LonghornsOnSI) December 7, 2025

The Wolverines recently became a topic of discussion during Texas' Early Signing Day, as Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian confirmed that the Longhorns will honor their home game against Michigan on Sept. 11, 2027 after speculation that Texas would be cancelling future non-conference games against power opponents.

"We're going to honor Ohio State and Michigan," Sarkisian said. "We went there, we went to Ann Arbor, went to Columbus. We're going to honor those return trips. So for the next two years, we know what our non-conference schedule is going to look like, and that's the right thing to do. We made the commitment to play them, and will honor that commitment for them to come play us here."

With the bowl game now official, this means Texas will face Michigan three times in a four-year span.

Will Some Texas Players Opt Out of Bowl Game?

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian looks on during the third quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Some Texas players that could be heading to the 2026 NFL Draft will now have to make a decision on whether or not to play in the Citrus Bowl.

Sarkisian said that he thinks it's a benefit for each player to suit up against Michigan in order to add more to their game tape. However, it remains to be seen if any Longhorns decide to sit out in order to avoid injury.

"I think every player on our team, whether they're going to the draft or not, needs to play in this game," Sarkisian said. "It's another opportunity to build their resume, to put to put things on tape that the NFL can lean into, that can help them evaluate them for the draft. We're going to play a quality opponent, regardless of who it is, so they can work on their craft here in December and maybe put a little better product on the field for them."