Citrus Bowl Preview

CITRUS BOWL PREVIEW

Michigan vs. Tennessee Vincent Pullia eSports columnist

Never before have Michigan and Tennessee met on the gridiron. All that is about to change when the two collide down in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl. If you think the two teams are hyped to play one another -- think again.

A month ago, both teams appeared destined for the big show. It was the typical situation for these powers of the SEC and Big Ten -BCS bids, conference championships, bone-jarring defense, 100,000+ fans, game-breaking offense, and a litany of All-American prospects.

That was a month ago.

Enter present day and Michigan and Tennessee find themselves trapped inside an unfamiliar, "Bizarro World."

After having fallen through a vortex of dismal play and misfortune, the Wolverines and Volunteers are on the outside looking in. There will be no conference titles, no BCS bowl, and most importantly, no roses. All that's left to be played for is pride. Two generally stellar programs playing not for national prominence, but instead to quell the sudden onslaught of naysayers that question their hearts, and their ability to step up in a big game.

For college football fans, this inaugural game is a dream come true. For the Wolverines and Volunteers, the idea of playing in this consolation game is like one bad bender. A month ago they were ready for the Rose Bowl. Now, thanks to the nemesis Buckeyes and Tigers, the Citrus Bowl is where you'll find Michigan and Tennessee.

Don't despair though. Even though the outcome of the game to the players could be as comforting as an ACE Award is to an actor -- take a closer look. There are many little subplots hatching like mutated frogs from the Jersey shore:

Key Players to Watch

* Will he play or won't he? During the last five games of the season, Michigan QB John Navarre completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw just eight touchdowns passes with 10 interceptions. He was also responsible for most of the team's fumbles. In the biggest game of his career (against the Buckeyes), he fumbled and tossed four interceptions.

* Tennessee's All-American RB Travis Stephens was mugged and mauled by the LSU defense for a seasonal low of 37 yards on 14 carries. His long carry for the game was meager nine-yard jaunt and he had a critical second-half fumble. On New Year's Day he will be facing a Michigan run defense that displayed multiple chinks in its armor toward the end of the season.

* Michigan WR Marquise Walker was rewarded for his school-record breaking season by earning a place on the AP's second-team of All-Americans. If Walker can't step up against the Volunteers, it won't be the scintillating one-handed touchdown grab against Iowa that fans will remember him for. It will be the touchdown that wasn't -- the dropped pass in the endzone against Ohio State, a reception that may have won the game for the Big Blue.

* All it took was some backup QB to put the kibosh on Tennessee's season. The Tennessee secondary did end up with three interceptions, but they could have had triple that against LSU. Instead, Julian Battle and Co. let many crucial turnovers slip through their fingers. They probably would have been enough to turn the game around, but instead were picked apart by the legs and arm of LSU backup, Matt Mauck.

My Stadium is Bigger Than Yours

Michigan prided itself on having the largest capacity crowd in all of college football. It was a home-field advantage unparalleled by any other facility in the land. That is until Tennessee's Neyland Stadium expanded and took over the throne of biggest college football shrine. Michigan didn't like that too much so they did the one thing they felt they had to -- they built again. Currently, Michigan's "Big House" leads Tennessee in the attendance expansion race at 107,000+ fans compared to Neyland's 104,000+.

Fulmer and the "Big Game"

When people glance at Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer's postseason record, it will glance at one measly game over .500. At 5-4, Fulmer's Volunteers have been hardly spectacular in bowl games that mean nothing. Take his last three consecutive losing bowls. Many people around Knoxville are second-guessing Fulmer's preparation and motivation to get his kids to play, albeit no conference or national championship on the line. There's no bigger stage to dispel those notions than going against the Wolverines, one of the most winning bowl teams of all-time.

And finally, for two teams that have never faced each other, they still may have some bad blood between them.

Charles in Charge

In 1997, out of the SEC, a dangerously poised quarterback named Peyton helped lead the Volunteers to those cliche green pastures.

From the Big Ten, a cornerback/part-time wide receiver named Charles was wowing the country with his ambidextrous plays.

Many thought Peyton Manning would take home the Heisman Trophy, but it was Charles Woodson who won in a decision that sparked more debate than the Kennedy/Nixon election.

To this day, many around the country believe that this incident led Coach Fulmer and staff to purposely vote Michigan unfairly low in the 1997 polls, causing the Wolverines to split the national title with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Citrus Bowl may not be a BCS bowl, but it certainly is the next biggest thing on the ladder rung. A long-time coming, pitting Michigan and Tennessee certainly proves it.