For the tenth time in school history, the Florida State football team will participate in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami. On December 30th at 8 PM, the ‘Noles will take on the sixth ranked Michigan Wolverines.
The ‘Noles have played in more Orange Bowls than in any other bowl. FSU is 4-5 in its previous nine Orange Bowls and the Seminoles won its 1994 National Championship in an Orange Bowl. The last time FSU was in the Orange Bowl was back in 2013 when it defeated Northern Illinois.
Florida State has lost its past two bowl games, but the ‘Noles are 6-2 over the last eight seasons in bowl games. All-time in bowl games, FSU is 27-16-2. Those 27 bowl victories are tied for sixth most in the nation.
The game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium, where Florida State defeated the Miami Hurricanes earlier this season. The last time FSU lost in that stadium was 2006, having won six straight games since.
The Seminoles have played against Michigan only twice, going 1-1 against the Wolverines in the teams’ two meetings, both of which were played in Ann Arbor. Michigan won the first matchup between the two, 20-18, in 1986 before FSU thumped the Wolverines in The Big House in 1991, winning 51-31 in a performance that still stands as the most points scored by an opponent at Michigan in a non-overtime game in U of M history.
Coached by Jim Harbaugh, Michigan enters the game 10-2 with losses to Iowa and Ohio State, both on the road. Historically in the Orange Bowl, U of M is 1-1, playing its last game in 2000. In the Wolverines’ last 10 bowl games, the team has a 3-7 record.
This season, Michigan has wins against Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin, all at home. On the road, it defeated Rutgers 78-0.
Led by hybrid defender Jabrill Peppers, who plays both at linebacker and defensive back, Michigan’s defense ranks second in the nation behind Alabama, giving up an average of 252.7 yards per game.
On offense, Michigan averages just over 439 yards of offense per game, good for 47th in the country.