The Michigan football team is headed to Georgia.
On Dec. 29, the 7th-ranked Wolverines (8-1 Big Ten, 10-2 overall) will face off against No. 10 Florida (5-3 SEC, 9-3) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be the first time that Michigan will play in the Peach Bowl, and the first Big Ten team to make it since Maryland in 2002.
“We are honored to represent the Big Ten Conference in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl,” said coach Jim Harbaugh. “Florida is a great football team and we look forward to the opportunity to compete against them. We are excited to have our student-athletes and fans experience the Peach Bowl during the holiday season.”
It will also be the third time that the Wolverines will face off against the Gators in four years. The first matchup was a 41-7 Citrus Bowl drubbing by Michigan in Jim Harbaugh’s inaugural season. The most recent contest was last season’s opener at AT&T Stadium, which the Wolverines won, 33-17.
Florida’s most notable win this year is an eight-point win over No. 11 LSU. Their quarterback, Feleipe Franks, is familiar with Michigan after starting last year’s contest, going 5-for-9 for 75 yards before being pulled. Franks leads a lackluster passing offense that ranks just 77th in the country.
While Michigan will play its second New Year’s Six Bowl Game in three years, measuring the success of the 2018 season has been a contentious topic. The Wolverines will look for just its second bowl win since the 2012 season, and will be doing so after a demoralizing 62-39 loss at Ohio State that dashed Playoff and Big Ten Championship hopes.