CBS Sports projects new opponent for Michigan to face in bowl game

Michigan football couldn't close the season on the same note it had the past four years, and the Wolverines will not be in the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive year.

After losing to No. 1 Ohio State, 27-9, on Saturday, the Wolverines will go on to play in a regular bowl game instead of being in the field of 12, so then the question remains: where, when, and against whom? It's been rumored that with an OSU loss, Michigan would face Texas in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on December 31. But with Texas upending No. 3 Texas A&M, the Longhorns may be rewarded by getting to play for more in the postseason. That remains to be seen, especially considering they have three losses, just like Michigan, but CBS Sports' latest projection has the Wolverines playing an intriguing SEC team.

Though not long thought of as a powerhouse, the past two years have seen Vanderbilt emerge among college football's best. And CBS Sports' Brad Crawford projects that it will be the Wolverines and Commodores facing off in the Citrus Bowl on December 31.

The Commodores just destroyed Tennessee in their rivalry game, 45-24, Vanderbilt's first win against the Vols since 2018. Michigan has faced Vanderbilt 11 times in history and is 10-1-0 in the matchup. The maize and blue last faced the Commodores to open the 2006 season at The Big House.

Of course, this is just a projection, and Michigan won't know its fate, nor its opponent or bowl location, until next week, when the College Football Playoff rankings committee reveals its top 12 and the rest fall into place.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Latest Michigan football bowl projection has new SEC team matchup