SPORTS

Michigan in Citrus mix with Northwestern, bowl tweets

Mark Snyder
Detroit Free Press
Head coach Les Miles of the LSU Tigers look on during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium on Nov. 28, 2015 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The Citrus Bowl is interested in Michigan.

But even if the Big Ten's top three teams are in the College Football Playoff or New Year's Six, the Wolverines may still be in a battle.

The bowl tweeted its interest in the Wolverines Sunday night writing, "If Iowa/MSU/OSU are all off the board, our discussion centers on Michigan and Northwestern in the B1G."

Michigan beat Northwestern, 38-0, but the Wildcats are 10-2 while U-M is 9-3.

If the Wolverines were chosen, there's a possibility it could be Michigan and Les Miles. It never happened in Ann Arbor but may occur in Orlando.

Pitting a Big Ten team usually against an SEC team, LSU (8-3 with one game cancelled) could match well against U-M.

Miles coaching against his alma mater, the program where he's routinely connected for his dream job, would be intriguing as well.

There was even a report early Sunday morning of that possibility, from a Baton Rouge radio host, who said a bowl rep told him they would "strongly consider" it.

As Michigan's morbid post-Ohio State press conference concluded, a pair of bowl reps parked in the middle of the Crisler Center media room.

Amidst the fallout of the 42-13 Buckeye whipping, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl reps stayed with the Wolverines.

Next weekend's conference title games may still impact the decision, especially if the Big Ten title game is lopsided, but it appears all three of Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State are headed to the College Football Playoff (Cotton, Orange) or a New Year's Six bowl (Peach, Fiesta, Sugar, Rose.)

Albom: U-M in better shape, but not ready for Ohio State

That leaves the Citrus as the most prestigious remaining and, having missed the Wolverines with their big TV ratings and significant traveling party since the 2007 season, it seems a logical fit.

"The bowl game is obviously our biggest focus now, those extra 15 practices to get everyone that much better and prepare for a team we face in the bowl game that obviously will be pretty good," U-M defensive lineman Chris Wormley said. "Obviously we're pretty disappointed with the loss, but there's a lot to look forward to, with the bowl game and hopefully we'll be in a position in the bowl game to win."

That potential "pretty good" opponent, beyond LSU, seems to have a few tantalizing choices.

U-M bruised for 369 rushing yards in 42-13 loss to OSU

Matching Michigan with a potential 10-3 Florida team, in a battle of first year coaches who re-energized programs, would fill the stadium and draw a big rating.

The other three-loss SEC team might be Georgia, but the Bulldogs were in the bowl three years ago while LSU hasn't been since 2009 and Florida since facing U-M in that Jan. 1, 2008 game a classic won by the Wolverines in Lloyd Carr's finale.

Given the postseason experiences since that game – Michigan is 1-3 in bowls, only squeaking out the Sugar with a few unlikely throws – simply being in a bowl with a competent coaching staff encourages the players.

"This loss is obviously tough, you never want to lose to Ohio State, especially the way we did but it's a bowl game and we haven't been to one in two years and we're super excited for that," Wormley said. "It's a chance for us to get better."

Maybe not if they have to face Miles' star, LSU tailback Leonard Fournette, but that's another story.

Contact Mark Snyder at msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @mark__snyder. Download our new Wolverines Xtra app on iTunes and Android!