The decision was unanimous by the Gator Bowl selection committee: Michigan was extended an invitation on Sunday to play in the afternoon New Year’s Day bowl against No. 21 Mississippi State.

It will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Even though the Wolverines finished the regular season with two losses at the hands of No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 6 Ohio State and a 7-5 record, Gator Bowl President Rick Catlett and his committee liked the matchup between these Big Ten and Southeastern Conference schools.

“We’re excited about (Michigan’s) ability to move the ball offensively," Catlett said today in a phone interview with The Michigan Daily. “And we think Mississippi State plays really good defense. I think it’s going to be a classic college matchup.”

Added Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon via a press release: “We are excited about representing the Big Ten Conference in the Gator Bowl. Our players, coaches and football support staff have worked hard all season and this is a great reward for them. We have great alumni and fan support in the Sunshine State and I anticipate a large Michigan contingent in Jacksonville.

The Wolverines are headed to a bowl game for the first time in the three seasons Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has led the program. And it’s a New Year’s Day bowl nonetheless.

Before the two-year drought, Michigan had made 33 straight bowl appearances and was a fixture on New Year’s Day. The school’s rich tradition played a factor in selecting the Wolverines over both Illinois and Iowa, according to Catlett.

“Obviously, Michigan is one of those elite universities that has a national brand recognition,” Catlett said. “They have a tremendous number of alumni in the United States — a tremendous amount of alumni who live in the state of Florida. And we think the program with the star-power with the quarterback, and (it’s) a program that’s turning the corner and starting to head in the right direction. They’ll bring a lot of fans and a lot of TV eyes and an exciting football game.”

Last week in a separate interview with the Daily, Catlett said that the economic impact on the Jacksonville community, a potentially full stadium and high television ratings would drive the selection process.

Sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson is the type of player fans pay to watch and Catlett acknowledged how special a talent the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year is.

“If it wasn’t for (Auburn quarterback) Cam Newton, he’d be right in the middle of the Heisman Trophy hunt,” Catlett said. “And that’s always exciting. He’s probably one of those four or five athletes that stand out above the rest as it relates to his talents and his abilities.”

“(Robinson) is the most dynamic player we will face this year,” Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen added on a conference call Sunday night.

Robinson will run point on the Big Ten’s best offense, which is tasked with scoring on a Bulldogs team that allows 20 points per game — the No. 27 scoring defense in Division-I football.

Mississippi State finished fifth in the SEC west, but don't let that fool you. The four teams ahead of the Bulldogs were No. 1 Auburn, No. 8 Arkansas, No. 11 LSU and No. 15 Alabama — which all accounted for Mississippi State’s only four losses on the season.

And the most impressive of those losses may have come against Auburn on Sept. 9 when the Tigers needed to stop the Bulldogs’ final drive to hold on 17-14. Mississippi State held Newton to 136 yards passing and 70 yards rushing on the game.

“You always want to know — people say you win championships with defenses,” Catlett said. “It’s the classic matchup of defense versus a good offense. And we’re going to enjoy trying to figure out which of them is going to break first.”

Whether there are offensive fireworks or not, there will be media and fan speculation leading up to the Gator Bowl regarding Rodriguez’s job status. The embattled coach showed emotion during the football team’s banquet on Dec. 2 and the murmurs that his job may be in jeopardy started to pick up after the Wolverines lost their final two games by a combined score of 85-35.

Catlett and the Gator Bowl have a longstanding relationship with the coach, though. He led West Virginia to a 1-2 record in the bowl game with appearances in 2003, 2004 and 2006. And Catlett called him “one of the best coaches in America,” in the interview on Sunday.