Michigan Football: 3 early predictions for Wolverines in Citrus Bowl

Which team will be out more players?

Alabama may not be in the College Football Playoff this season, but the Crimson Tide are still loaded with talent and have a number of guys that are set to become first-round draft picks in 2020.

That brings up the obvious question of just how many of those guys will actually play in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan?

The Wolverines have NFL talent too. Peoples-Jones, Collins and Tarik Black are all being projected to go to the NFL along with corner Lavert Hill. Ben Bredeson and Jon Runyan Jr. are others on the offensive line, along with Josh Uche and Mike Danna on defense.

The difference is that none of those Michigan guys are guaranteed first-rounders. The wideouts all have something to prove, especially against a team like Alabama and really, all of the Wolverines with draft prospects could use a good showing to improve their stock.

For the Crimson Tide, this is the first time they have faced a “meaningless” bowl game in nearly a decade. It’s also the first time since players started skipping bowl games and it will be interesting if Saban is able to avoid that fate or if some of his players focus on their NFL future already.

Ultimately, I expect both teams to have the majority of players available, however, it’s reasonable to assume Alabama will have a couple more missing than Michigan.