It’s not the Michigan football team’s ideal bowl, but apparently fans are still excited about it.
- Julie Rowe
- Defensive coordinator Ron English has been granted a second interview for the Michigan coaching job, according to ESPN. (PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily)
Just 13 hours after the Michigan-Florida matchup was announced Sunday night, the Capital One Bowl reached a sellout, Steve Hogan, the executive director of Florida Citrus Sports, announced yesterday.
Temporary bleachers were added after the sellout (65,438 people) was announced, but those seats subsequently sold out, too.
“This record sellout is evidence that Orlando is a hotbed for college football,” Hogan said. “Marquee matchups like Michigan and Florida and their tremendous fans are what make the Capital One Bowl the top non-BCS bowl game in the country.”
The Capital One Bowl pits No. 9 Florida (9-3) against unranked Michigan (8-4). The Wolverines won the only head-to-head matchup in the two schools’ history four years ago when they defeated the Gators in the Outback Bowl, 38-30. This year’s game takes place Jan. 1 at 1:00 p.m. and will air on ABC.
Despite the sellout, student tickets are still available. The tickets in the designated student sections went on sale yesterday and will be available until Friday at 5 p.m. They must be ordered online using your student online ticket account.
Hungry for seconds: Defensive coordinator Ron English will meet with Michigan for a second interview, according to ESPN.
The same report also said English would interview with Arkansas for the Razorbacks’ vacant head coaching position.
English was unavailable for comment, but he did talk about the prospects of being a head coach following Lloyd Carr’s retirement press conference on Nov. 19.
“Certainly, who wouldn’t?” English responded when asked if he’d have interest in the head-coaching job. “I love Michigan, I love being at Michigan and it’s been a great opportunity for me.”
Hoping for hardware: With the Heisman Trophy ceremony happening Saturday night, most Michigan fans’ attention will be on the fact that Mike Hart won’t be there. Once a Heisman frontrunner, Hart fell out of contention for the nation’s most prestigious award when he missed three games because of to an ankle injury midway through the season.
But even though the senior running back won’t be at the Downtown Athletic Club this weekend, it doesn’t mean he and a couple of his teammates will walk away from this season empty-handed.
Hart is a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back. The nation’s fifth-leading rusher will be pitted against Arkansas’ Darren McFadden, and Rutgers’ Ray Rice.
Senior offensive lineman Jake Long has a chance to bring home two awards. He’s a finalist for both the Outland Trophy (best offensive lineman) and Lombardi Award (best lineman – both offense and defense combined).
Junior Mario Manningham hopes to garner more votes than fellow finalists Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) and Jordy Nelson (Kansas State) to walk away with the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.
All awards will be presented Thursday at the Home Depot College Football Awards Show in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.