Michigan to face No. 11 Alabama in ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve
(CBS DETROIT) — Michigan will face No. 11 Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve.
The New Year's Eve meeting is a rematch of last year's College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl that saw Michigan come out on top, 27-20 in overtime, en route to an eventual national championship.
The defending national champion Wolverines (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) are riding a two-game win streak, which includes a 13-10 upset victory over rival Ohio State to close out the regular season, while the Crimson Tide (9-3, 5-3 SEC) were the first team left out of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs.
"We are excited and honored to represent the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa," said first-year Michigan coach Sherrone Moore in a news release. "This is a great opportunity for our team to finish the season against an outstanding SEC opponent in Alabama. We look forward to competing against Coach Kalen DeBoer and his highly ranked Crimson Tide."
It's Michigan's seventh appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, which was previously known as the Hall of Fame Bowl (1986-1995) and Outback Bowl (1996-2022), and its 53rd all-time bowl appearance. Michigan's last ReliaQuest Bowl appearance was during the 2017 season and resulted in a 26-19 loss to South Carolina. Its last win in the Tampa bowl game was a 38-30 victory over Florida in the 2002 season.
Michigan and Alabama have met twice before in Tampa, with the Wolverines taking the 1988 edition and coming out on the losing end in the 1997 game. Overall, the two sides have met five times during the bowl season, with Michigan holding a 3-2 series lead.
The Wolverines are 26-13-1 all-time against SEC opponents.
Earlier this week, Michigan parted ways with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell. Tight ends coach Steve Casula will serve as interim offensive coordinator.
Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, is set for noon.