After missing the postseason a year ago, the Florida Gators are headed to the Peach Bowl Dec. 29 to face Big Ten power Michigan.
A No. 10 ranking in the final College Football Playoffs and bid in a New Year's Six bowl are the latest sign of the UF's turnaround in Dan Mullen's first season.
"I'm proud of our team of how they have embraced everything this year and finished strong and now they get the reward of playing in a high-profile bowl game for the opportunity to win 10 games," Mullen said in a statement. "We will have some more time off to focus on academics and get our bodies right before we get back to work, prepare for the game and enjoy our time in Atlanta, which is a special city for us and our fans."
The Gators and Wolverines have faced each other during three previous bowl games and have become familiar opponents in recent seasons. Trailing 0-4 in the series, UF seeks a better result this time.
Coach Jim Harbaugh's team captured the 2016 Citrus Bowl 41-7 and the 2017 season-opener 33-17 in Arlington, Texas.
The Gators (9-3) enter the match-up with the No. 7 Wolverines (10-2) riding a three-game winning streak following consecutive losses to No. 5 Georgia and No. 23 Missouri. The late-season surge culminated with last weekend's 41-14 win at Florida State and moved Mullen's squad from the No. 15 spot to comfortably inside the top 12 reserved for playoff teams and New Year's Six participants.
Including nine seasons at Mississippi State, Mullen's teams have appeared in bowl games all but 2009, his first season in Starkville.
The Gators' offense led the way, averaging 562 yards and 46.3 points during wins against South Carolina, Idaho and FSU.
UF now will face the nations' top-ranked defense, despite a stunning collapse during the regular season's final game. Michigan's defense allows an average of 262.5 yards, but was run off the field during a 62-39 loss eight days ago to Ohio State that knocked the Wolverines out of the College Football Playoff picture.
Otherwise, the Wolverines allowed more than 21 points just once all season, during a 24-17 season-opening at Notre Dame. The Irish finished the season unbeaten and ranked No. 3 to earn a spot in the playoffs against Clemson.
One of the more intriguing storylines of the Peach Bowl matchup went by the wayside Sunday. Former UF coach Jim McElwain reportedly will be named head coach at Central Michigan after coaching Michigan's wide receivers this season.
