Michigan Bowl Forecasts Favor Cactus Bowl or Music City Bowl
On November 2, updated forecasts placed Michigan in either the Cactus Bowl against Cincinnati or the Music City Bowl against Missouri, as the Wolverines neared bowl eligibility ahead of their home game against Michigan State.
Michigan moved within one win of bowl eligibility with a 28-21 road victory over Rutgers. On November 2, two forecasts pointed to the Cactus Bowl, while another projected the Wolverines for the Music City Bowl as the team prepared to host rival Michigan State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The Cactus Bowl projections paired Michigan with Cincinnati. One forecast set the game for December 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Tempe, Arizona. Cincinnati was coming off a 34-point defeat to No. 6 Utah.
A separate projection placed Michigan in the Music City Bowl on December 30 against Missouri. The Tigers were 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC, with both losses coming against ranked teams. They were scheduled to host Texas on Saturday.
Michigan State entered the rivalry game at 2-6 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play, having lost six straight. After facing the Spartans, Michigan’s remaining schedule included No. 5 UCLA, Oregon and No. 11 Ohio State.
Michigan’s College Football Playoff prospects were described as highly unlikely, even if the Wolverines won their remaining games. Their immediate priority was securing a sixth win; a loss to Michigan State would leave them needing victories against a difficult closing schedule to reach bowl eligibility. The forecasts also highlighted freshman quarterback Tommy Carr’s three-touchdown performance against Rutgers.