Michigan-Texas thoughts: Can Bryce Underwood, Arch Manning build for 2026 in Citrus Bowl? – The Athletic
A two-game home-and-home series between Michigan and Texas is now a best-of-three.
The No. 18 Wolverines (9-3, 7-2 Big Ten) and No. 13 Longhorns (9-3, 6-2 SEC) will meet in the Citrus Bowl, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. Texas beat Michigan 31-12 last season to kickstart a run to the College Football Playoff but missed the Playoff this year after beginning the season ranked No. 1. For the second year in a row, Michigan will head to Florida to face an opponent from the SEC on New Year’s Eve in one of the most attractive non-CFP matchups of bowl season.
Michigan vs Texas
New Year’s Eve in Orlando at the @CitrusBowl.
Game Info » https://t.co/ryyRoXxOA3 pic.twitter.com/p1GbUkEVdi
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) December 7, 2025
Here are four early thoughts on the matchup.
Both teams want to play
Notre Dame’s decision to opt out of a bowl game after missing the CFP was the clearest sign yet that the relevance of bowl season is fading. Texas and Michigan both hoped to be playing in the CFP, but neither coach considered turning down a bowl invitation.
“For us, this is an opportunity to play another game against a really good team in a great bowl game,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We’re going to cherish it. We’re going to put our best foot forward and try to go win this game.”
Unlike Notre Dame, both of these programs had time to brace for being left out of the Playoff. The Longhorns knew they weren’t going to jump multiple two-loss teams in the final rankings, and the Wolverines knew their loss to Ohio State signaled the end of the CFP hopes. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore gave players extra time to decompress after the Ohio State loss but said Wolverines will be ready to get back on the practice field this week and start preparing for Texas.
“We felt like it was important, not only for the development of our coaches and our players, but just the development of the program,” Moore said. “It’s a reward to be able to go do things like that. It’s about 20 degrees here, too, so going to Orlando will be nice.”
How they got here
With Texas stuck on the outside of the CFP picture, coach Steve Sarkisian suggested the Longhorns would think twice about scheduling marquee nonconference matchups like their Week 1 game at Ohio State, a 14-7 loss.
“Why did we even play Ohio State?” Sarkisian said on SiriusXM after Texas upset previously unbeaten Texas A&M to end the regular season. “Because if we’re a 10-2 team right now that played four top-10 opponents with three top-10 wins, we’re not even having a discussion right now. So, my point is: Why the hell am I going to play that game next year? For what? What good does it do?”
Sarkisian later clarified that Texas isn’t backing out of its scheduled home games against the Buckeyes in 2026 and Michigan in 2027. This year’s CFP field showed the risks and benefits of playing those high-profile games, as Miami and Oklahoma benefited from big nonconference wins while Texas and Michigan didn’t factor in the final discussions.
Oklahoma’s Week 2 win against Michigan helped the Sooners stay ahead of other two-loss teams on the bubble. Scheduling an easier game wouldn’t have made a big difference for the Wolverines, whose best victories came against Washington, Nebraska and Northwestern. It might have made a difference for the Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M but lost to Florida and Georgia. Ultimately, both of these teams have themselves to blame for missing the CFP.
“We’ve got to win more games,” Sarkisian said. “We’ve got to win the games that are right in front of us. It doesn’t matter how hard your schedule is. That doesn’t matter. It matters what your record is.”
We might be having this conversation again next year, as Ohio State plays at Texas and Oklahoma plays at Michigan early in the 2026 season.
A dream QB matchup
Arch Manning was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023. Bryce Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025. Both have had their struggles as first-year starters, but putting them on the same field in a bowl game is an easy way to attract eyeballs.
For all the grief he took early in the season, Manning threw 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in his final seven starts and finished the regular season with nearly 3,000 passing yards. A strong performance in the Citrus Bowl could jumpstart a Heisman Trophy campaign for 2026 after it never materialized in 2025.
Underwood’s season was uneven from start to finish, as he threw just nine touchdowns to six interceptions and finished the regular season completing 61 percent of his passes. His performance against Ohio State — 8-for-18, 63 yards passing in a 27-9 loss — isn’t how he wanted to end his freshman season. This game will give him a chance to enter the offseason on a better note and build momentum for next year.
What’s at stake?
Texas and Michigan want to be competing for CFP bids and conference championships, not bowl victories. With its upset of Alabama in last year’s ReliaQuest Bowl, Michigan saw how a bowl win can add some gloss to an underwhelming season. Playing another blueblood program means a feather in the cap of the winning team and supplies motivation for a game that otherwise wouldn’t mean a lot.
Both coaches mentioned the value of getting a 10th win, though that’s mostly an arbitrary number. It’s more important to set the table for a return to the CFP next season, a goal Texas shares. The winner of this game will get a little extra fuel for its 2026 CFP campaign.
“Next year, the goal is to be in the Playoff,” Sarkisian said. “If we’re not going to be in the Playoff, let’s be in the game that’s closest to the Playoff, that gives enough feel and energy and competitive spirit so they have an idea of what they can look forward to next December.”
