Michigan No. 2 in CFP Rankings, Will Face Georgia in Semifinal Matchup
12/5/2021 12:30:00 PM | Football
• Michigan Bowl Game Information
DALLAS, Texas – The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan football team will make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, facing No. 3 Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. This will be the third time in school history that Michigan plays against Georgia and the first time the two programs will square off in a bowl game.
The national semifinal matchup between the Wolverines (12-1, 8-1 Big Ten) and Georgia (12-1, 8-0 SEC) will be televised nationally by ESPN on New Year's Eve (Friday, Dec. 31). Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Michigan enters the Orange Bowl and the national semifinal fresh off a 42-3 victory over No. 15 Iowa in the Big Ten Championship Game on Saturday (Dec. 4). The Wolverines advanced to the conference title game following a 42-27 win against No. 2 Ohio State in the final game of the regular season. U-M won its final four games heading into the title game and opened the season with seven straight victories.
The Wolverines posted an 8-1 mark during the Big Ten regular season, winning all four conference games at home and going 4-1 on the road. Michigan claimed 12 victories for just the third time in school history, equaling the win totals of the 1905 and 1997 teams, and will look to become the first squad in the 142-year history of the program to claim 13 victories.
Michigan has been playing complimentary football all season, with all three phases ranking among the best nationally. The team ranks in the top 15 in scoring defense (4th) and scoring offense (13th) and in the top 20 in total defense (13th) and total offense (18th). The Wolverines list in the top 25 of 27 NCAA statistical categories, including top 10 rankings in 12 areas, and leads the nation in tackles for loss allowed and kick return defense.
The Wolverines had 22 players (10 offense, 9 defense, 3 special teams) recognized with all-conference accolades this season, led by first-team All-Big Ten performers Hassan Haskins and Andrew Stueber on offense and Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo and Daxton Hill on defense. Hutchison was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Defensive Lineman of the Year. Kicker Jake Moody was the team's other first-team all-conference performer and was voted the Big Ten's Kicker of the Year.
U-M enters the College Football Playoff as the second-ranked team in the country after finishing the season listed as the No. 2 team in the CFP rankings as well as the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls. Michigan is the first team to reach the playoff after not starting the season ranked in the national polls.
Following is some background on Michigan's bowl game history:
- Michigan will be making its 49th all-time bowl appearance, which is the 11th highest total among FBS schools.
- The Wolverines are playing in the Orange Bowl for the fourth time in school history, and have a 1-2 record in the bowl.
- Michigan's last appearance in the Orange Bowl came during the 2016 season, and resulted in a 33-32 setback to Florida State during head coach Jim Harbaugh's second season.
- Michigan and Georgia are meeting on the gridiron for the third time in school history and the first time in over 65 years. Both previous matchups came at Michigan Stadium: a 26-0 victory for the Wolverines in 1957 and a 15-7 win for the Bulldogs in 1965.
- U-M has claimed 21 bowl victories which is the 17th highest total among FBS programs.
- This will be the 10th time that Michigan plays a bowl game in the month of December.
- Michigan and Cincinnati become the 12th and 13th different school to be selected to play in the College Football Playoff since it began during the 2014 season, joining Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington.
Capital One Orange Bowl
Date: Dec. 31, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: ESPN
Site: Miami Gardens, Fla.
Facility: Hard Rock Stadium
Capacity: 65,000
Surface: Natural Grass
Website: orangebowl.org
Ticket Information
The Michigan ticket allotment for the Orange Bowl is sold out. Football season ticket holders and athletic donors had the opportunity to pre-request tickets and will be notified of their status on Sunday, Dec. 5. For information on purchasing tickets directly from the bowl, please visit OrangeBowl.org.
2022 season tickets for Michigan football are currently available. Fans can visit MGoBlue.com/FootballSeasonTickets to learn more about the deadline, benefits and how to join the interest list.
