Michigan bowl projections: Destinations in focus after win over Ohio State
The Michigan Wolverines did the unthinkable over the weekend and took down the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, raising their record to 7-5 on the season and perhaps moving them up a few pegs in the bowl pecking order.
U-M will learn its bowl season fate on Sunday after the College Football Playoff field is set, which will gain some clarity this weekend with conference championships settled and other pieces falling into place.
Regardless, plenty of projections are out there to get an idea of where Michigan might land. Below is the roundup heading into championship weekend.
Mark Schlabach, ESPN: Music City Bowl vs. Ole Miss (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee)
Music City has been a favorite choice during bowl projections, though it seems like some of the chatter behind the scenes has that waning. It’s still in play a week out from learning the destination, and would be an interesting juxtaposition going up against Lane Kiffin’s Rebels.
Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: Music City Bowl vs. South Carolina (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee)
A trip to Nashville continues to circle as the most likely destination, at least as far as the bowl projections go. This game would provide a rematch of the Outback Bowl in 2013, meaning a famous hit will probably be played on repeat during the game coverage.
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CBS Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Missouri (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee)
The Missouri program has been copying a lot of Michigan traits of late, right down to beating Ohio State on the field last postseason. The two could settle somewhat of a score in Nashville, and renew a series that has not been played on the field since 1975. Michigan is 2-2 against Missouri all-time.
Athlon Sports: Music City Bowl vs. Missouri (Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee)
Another pick is on the board for the Michigan squad heading to Nashville to take on the Tigers.
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Colorado (Dec. 27, Las Vegas, Nevada)
This is the first time this bowl has popped up here, and it feels like wishful thinking and fan fiction more than anything. Bender cites Colorado’s desire to play Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in the game, saying that U-M’s potential draft stars could suit up, too. Given that some of the teams in the old Pac-12 are in the mix for some of these West Coast bowls, it seems extremely unlikely that this will happen.
College Football Network: Duke’s Mayo Bowl vs. Syracuse (Jan. 3, Charlotte, North Carolina)
Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord said everything has come full circle after leading the Orange to an upset win over No. 6 Miami (FL) on Saturday, and a bowl matchup against a Michigan team that hung a loss on him last year would be a great storyline. The Wolverines would have a chance to move to 2-0 against the former Buckeye signal-caller, who was thrown under the bus for his former team’s loss in The Game last year.
Action Network: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College (Dec. 28, Bronx, New York)
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Pinstripe Bowl pop up here, and some believe it is one of the most likely spots for the Wolverines. Here they would take on a Boston College team coached by Bill O’Brien, who was Ohio State’s offensive coordinator before taking the job and being replaced by Chip Kelly.
