By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Simply put, this is a brand name bowl game.

With two programs with a combined 1,881 wins and 24 national championships, the upcoming Vrbo Citrus Bowl between Alabama and Michigan isn’t just one of the most appealing pairings of this postseason, it’s a matchup for the ages. The Crimson Tide rank fourth all-time in total wins, the Wolverines, ahead of Ohio State and Texas, leading the way at number one. Alabama’s 15 titles are good for second in NCAA history, while Michigan slots sixth with nine. Though Atlanta, Glendale and later New Orleans, will host the final four, there will be a clear national spotlight on Orlando.

From the fight songs to the uniforms, the Citrus Bowl will be college football pagentry and tradition defined. Simply put, this is a brand name bowl game.

Two of college football’s greatest programs ever, two high-profile head coaches in Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh and two talented teams, 10-2 and 9-3 respectively, bring storylines ripe and plenty to the Citrus Bowl. New Year’s Day will mark the fourth postseason meeting between the two powers; results, with those three contests being decided by a combined eight points, have not disappointed. The last January showdown between the two saw Tom Brady lead a comeback for Michigan, who won by one point in the first overtime BCS bowl game.

This will be the inaugural College Football Playoff without Alabama. The margin between the final four and the rest of the New Year’s Six, in this case, is as close as it comes. Starting 8-0, the Crimson Tide lost to top-ranked LSU by five points and, without star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, at Auburn by three points; both games were instant classics. Jim Johnson’s OAYP formula ranks Alabama as the fifth-best team in the country, while ESPN’s FPI has the Crimson Tide fourth, five spots ahead of Peach Bowl-bound Oklahoma.

Alabama, by any measure, remains one of the nation’s most impressive teams.

The Crimson Tide have the game’s second-ranked offense, averaging 48.3 points per game even with the season-ending injury to Tagovailoa. Only Oklahoma average more team yards per play than Alabama at 7.83, the highest rate, ahead of this year’s LSU, in the SEC in at least ten years. Beyond Tagovailoa, the Crimson Tide recently had seven offensive players named first-or-second team all-league. Even in a perceived down season on the other side of the line of scrimmage, Alabama still leads the mighty SEC West in total defense.

Michigan enters having won four of five contests overall, a stretch which includes a 31-point rout of rival Notre Dame. The Wolverines have already faced five top 15 opponents, Big Ten foes Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin included. Johnson’s OAYP metric lists Michigan as top ten contender. ESPN’s FPI has the Wolverines 12th, with Michigan, notably, having the toughest schedule in the entire country. Whether historically or this season, specifically, the Wolverines are obviously no stranger to the bright lights.

For all of the history that will be on display, Saban and Harbaugh, two of the three highest-paid coaches in college football, add another element. The two stars have gone head-to-head in recruiting a number of times; January 1st will mark their first coaching competition on the field. That said, the two did indirectly square off in the mid 1980s when Saban was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State and Harbaugh was the quarterback at Michigan; Saban’s Spartans, with Harbaugh getting injured, won the first matchup before the signal caller claimed the next two.

Any conversation about college football comes with talk of both Alabama and Michigan alike. In this year’s Citrus Bowl, the postseason shares a similar narrative. New Year’s Day in Orlando awaits as a highly-anticipated matchup, one where neither side needs an introduction. It’s been rare for the Crimson Tide and Wolverines to get together, with just four total meetings all-time. When Alabama and Michigan do share the same field, the game’s proverbial stars align. This is history worth repeating.

Ahead of what should be another showcase postseason, two iconic programs will soon play on New Year’s Day. On a traditional college football holiday, it will be an ocassion worth celebrating.