Texas vs. Michigan preview, odds, predictions, what fans need to know before gameday
Longhorns-Wolverines meeting for just the second time in school history at 11 a.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian admitted he had goosebumps this week just thinking about Saturday’s mega-matchup between No. 3 Texas and No. 10 Michigan.
“Every time I see these two uniforms on the field together, it just looks right,” Sarkisian said Monday. “Looks like college football to me.”
Fans were already migrating to Detroit and the Ann Arbor area as of early Thursday. The school received 4,000 tickets in the visiting team allotment, but don’t be surprised if more Texas fans find their way into Michigan Stadium.
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Texas vs. Michigan preview
It’s hard to believe, but this is just the second time in school history that these two teams have ever met in football. Longhorns fans sure do remember the first — the 2005 Rose Bowl won on Dusty Mangum’s last-second field goal. That victory launched Vince Young and the Horns on a national championship run the following year.
It’s a different time, a different era, but these are still the two most iconic college sports brands in America. The helmets alone make this a terrific matchup.
Sarkisian sure sounds confident. He flashed a real quiet confidence during his Thursday session with reporters.
“People can generate hate in a lot of different ways,” Sarkisian said. “And so for me, now I’ve learned to relish those opportunities. There's something that I kind of relish being the villain. I kind of like going in there thinking, man, there’s 100 versus 120,000 and we’re the villain, and it’s okay being the villain.”
Texas Longhorns’ matchup with Michigan Wolverines another test of Steve Sarkisian’s culture
The Longhorns shouldn’t worry about 100,000 fans. As the coach says, “the standard is the standard.”
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has already been to the Big House once as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes. He didn’t play in that game in 2021 but he knows what the place is like.
Texas will be preparing for two Michigan quarterbacks — Davis Warren and Alex Orji. But the Wolverines’ defense will be tricky as well with longtime NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale now calling the shots in Ann Arbor.
It’s going to take some turnovers. Texas fans should want to see Texcalibur multiple times Saturday on the sideline.
Texas vs. Michigan odds, predictions
The Horns are 6.5-point favorites going into the defending national champions’ house. That sounds crazy on its face. Michigan lost 13 draft picks, but Texas lost 11.
This game actually was supposed to be played in Austin, but Big 12 officials leveraged Texas’ desire to join the SEC as a bargaining chip to get it flipped to Ann Arbor. The return match will be at Royal-Memorial Stadium in 2027.
Both Fox and ESPN will have their pre-game shows broadcasting from in and outside the stadium. Being on ESPN’s “College GameDay” hasn’t been the huge advantage you might think for the featured team, including Texas.
No matter the outcome, both teams still have plenty of time left to rebuild and make the College Football Playoff. Does that take some of the air out of this early September matchup. Not in the slightest.
