Who plays in the Orange Bowl this year? Teams, date, schedule for 2021 CFP semifinal game

The University Football Playoff semifinals have been established, and arguably the much more alluring of the two will take area in the Orange Bowl.

Michigan and Ga enter bowl season on the lookout to split by means of for the programs’ very first national titles because 1997 and 1980, respectively. Equally teams have been starved of achievements on that best stage, while they have appear to experience each and every other in entirely distinctive paths.

More: Look at the Orange Bowl semifinal are living on fuboTV (seven-day totally free demo)

The Bulldogs have enjoyed noticeably much more achievements than their maize-and-blue counterparts, successful the SEC championship as lately as 2017 and creating the meeting title activity in 2018 and 2021. It has gone 6-2 in its very last six New Year’s bowl games (which include what is now termed the Peach Bowl in 2006) because 2000. The Bulldogs have also been on the national championship activity stage, shedding to No. 4 Alabama in the 2018 CFP championship activity in heartbreaking vogue.

Would Bulldogs fans like that heartbreak in comparison to the dearth of significant games underneath Michigan in current several years? The Wolverines gained their very first Large 10 title this season because getting named co-champions in 2004 along with Iowa. They conquer their major rivals this season, Ohio State, for the very first time because 2011. That was the very last time Michigan gained a New Year’s bowl as very well, when it conquer Virginia Tech in the 2012 Sugar Bowl 23-20. Their very last New Year’s bowl victory in advance of that? A 35-34 overtime victory more than Alabama in the 2000 Orange Bowl.

Useless to say, these teams will not be lacking in enthusiasm heading into this Orange Bowl matchup. Here’s how you can enjoy these vaunted packages take out their frustrations from each and every other:

More: Enlargement? With Alabama-UC and Michigan-Ga, the four-workforce playoff even now sells

When is the Orange Bowl 2021?

  • Day: Dec. 31
  • Time: seven:thirty p.m. ET
  • Television broadcast: ESPN
  • Area: Tricky Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Fla.)

The 2021 Orange Bowl, 1 of two University Football Playoff semifinal games this season, will kick off on Friday, Dec. 31 (the precise time for which has still to be decided). The winner of this year’s Orange Bowl will progress to the national championship activity, in which it will take on the winner of the Cotton Bowl in between No. 1 Alabama and No. 4 Cincinnati. The national championship activity will take area at 8 p.m. on Monday, Jan. ten.

Who performs in the Orange Bowl 2021?

The 2021 Orange Bowl will feature 2-seed Michigan (12-1) and three-seed Ga (12-1). The Wolverines gained their right to perform in the Orange Bowl soon after beating No. 2 Ohio State in 7 days thirteen and No. thirteen Iowa during meeting championship weekend, respectively. The Bulldogs missing their SEC championship matchup to then-No. three Alabama, starting to be the very first workforce in the playoff period to get rid of on the closing weekend and even now make the top four teams. Their season-prolonged dominance gained them the right to make the playoff, in spite of that defeat.

More: Who are the top four teams in closing CFP poll of 2021?

What to know about Michigan vs. Ga

Dominant defenses

Two of higher education football’s most effective defenses will experience off in Tricky Rock Stadium on Dec. 31. Georgia’s has been lauded as a generational unit all calendar year, but the Wolverines are certainly no slouches. Down below are their season-prolonged stats and in which they rank nationally next meeting championship weekend:

  Full protection (rank) Rush protection (rank) Move protection (rank) Scoring protection (rank) Defensive efficiency (rank)
Ga 253.9 (2nd) 81.seven (third) 172.2 (third) 9.5 (1st) ninety three. (1st)
Michigan 316.2 (12th) 121.5 (twenty first) 194.seven (twenty second) 16.1 (4th) 76.three (eleventh)

Related quarterback perform

Aside from their dominant defenses, Michigan and Ga also have identical quarterback perform from Cade McNamara and Stetson Bennett, respectively. Neither player has lit up opposing defenses in 2021, but have mainly been efficient and mindful spreading the ball to receivers. Bennett had a tough outing from then-No. three Alabama, throwing two interceptions. If Kirby Intelligent elects to keep the former wander-on as his starter, however, here is how he matches up from McNamara:

  Passing yards Completions/Attempts Completion Pct. TDs-INTs QBR
Stetson Bennett 2,325 148/321 sixty four.1 24-seven 176.8
Cade McNamara 2,470 199/308 sixty four.6 15-4 145.4

Tiebreaker

Inspite of getting two of higher education football’s premier packages, Michigan and Ga have only met twice in their storied histories, and not because 1965. Michigan gained the very first matchup in 1957 as the 10th-ranked Wolverines blanked the unranked Bulldogs 26-. Ga returned the favor numerous several years later on, as the No. ten Bulldogs conquer seventh-ranked Michigan 15-seven. Equally matches took area in Ann Arbor, Mich.

So: Who wins the rubber match?

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Orange Bowl odds

Ga opened as a seven.5-point favored more than Michigan, in accordance to FanDuel. The more than/underneath is established at forty three.5 factors.

In which is Orange Bowl getting performed in 2021?

The Orange Bowl will be performed in its usual host stadium of Tricky Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. The stadium, which very first opened in 1987, has hosted the Orange Bowl because the 1996 season. There are no restrictions to enthusiast attendance this season.

New Year’s 6 Bowl plan 2021

All of this year’s New Year’s 6 Bowl games are televised on ESPN.

Day Bowl Matchup Time (ET) Television
Dec. thirty Peach Bowl No. ten Michigan State vs. No. 12 Pitt seven p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Dec. 31 Cotton Bowl Vintage (CFP semifinal) No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Cincinnati three:thirty p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Dec. 31 Orange Bowl (CFP semifinal) No. 2 Michigan vs. No. three Ga seven:thirty p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl No. 5 Notre Dame vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State 1 p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Jan. 1 Rose Bowl Sport No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. eleven Utah 5 p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl No. seven Baylor vs. No. 8 Ole Miss out on 8:45 p.m. ESPN, fuboTV
Jan. ten CFP Countrywide Championship TBD vs. TBD 8 p.m. ESPN, fuboTV