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Bowl Projections: Where Michigan football sits after 2-1 start

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Bowl Projections: Where Michigan football sits after 2-1 start


It’s hard to believe, but we are one-quarter of the way through Michigan’s 2024 season already. The Wolverines have struggled more than most predicted in their first three games against Fresno State, Texas and Arkansas State, and it has adjusted expectations for ‘Team 145’ in terms of postseason projections.

Once considered a top contender for the new, expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, No. 18 Michigan is no longer projected to reach that postseason tournament by any of the major networks at this time. Below, we’ve compiled a list of bowl projections for the Wolverines from various publications, giving us an idea on how their season is expected to play out from here. Let’s dive in…

Kyle Bonagura: Michigan vs. Auburn (ReliaQuest Bowl — Tampa, Fla.)
Mark Schlabach: Michigan vs. Missouri (Citrus Bowl — Orlando, Fla.)

ESPN has dual projections from reporters Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, each of whom have Michigan among the top Big Ten-affiliate bowls outside of the Playoff. Schlaback projects the Wolverines in a matchup with current No. 7 Missouri in the Citrus Bowl, while Bonagura has Michigan in a showdown with Auburn in the ReliaQuest Bowl. In terms of prestige, these two bowls are considered the Big Ten’s first and second highest, respectively, outside of the Playoff in terms of pecking order.

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Michigan and Missouri have split four previous meetings, each of which were played in Ann Arbor. However, the two have not met on the gridiron since 1975, a 31-7 win for the Wolverines. As for Auburn, the Wolverines have split two meetings with these Tigers. Michigan defeated Auburn (31-28) in the 2001 Citrus Bowl, while the Tigers beat the Wolverines (9-7) in the 1984 Sugar Bowl.

Projection: Michigan vs. LSU (Citrus Bowl)

Athlon is another that projects the Wolverines to grab the Big Ten’s top bowl outside of the playoff, as the publication matches up the Wolverines against current-No. 16 LSU in the Citrus Bowl. In this scenario, Michigan would face a relatively familiar opponent in head coach Brian Kelly, who spent 12 seasons at Notre Dame before bolting to the SEC. This would, however, be the first ever meeting on the gridiron between Michigan and LSU.

Projection: Michigan vs. Ole Miss (Citrus Bowl)

CBS’ projection remains unchanged from two weeks ago, as they still slot Michigan in a battle with Ole Miss in the Citrus Bowl at season’s end. Interestingly, this is the fourth different SEC opponent that the Wolverines have been projected to face in the postseason. The Wolverines and Rebels have met only once on the football field — a 35-3 win for the Wolverines in the Gator Bowl back in 1991.

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Projection: Michigan vs. Missouri (ReliaQuest Bowl)

Another SEC opponent for the Wolverines, but the ReliaQuest Bowl is considered one spot down on the Big Ten’s pecking order in terms of bowl affiliation. It’s interesting that the Tigers are projected this far down in USA Today’s list, given that Missouri is currently ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll. The Tigers would provide a fun, yet stiff test for the Wolverines in postseason play.

Projection: Michigan vs. Oklahoma (ReliaQuest Bowl)

College football reporter Brett McMurphy projects a fifth different matchup with an SEC opponent here for the Wolverines in current No. 15 Oklahoma. This would give an early preview into a home-and-home series that is set to begin next year, with Michigan traveling to Oklahoma in 2025 and the Sooner making a return trip to Ann Arbor in 2026. Michigan and Oklahoma have squared off just once in their storied histories, a 14-6 victory for the Sooners in the 1976 Orange Bowl.

– Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI –

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Police say Oakland County teen missing, endangered

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Police say Oakland County teen missing, endangered


Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance to find a missing Oakland County teen who is considered endangered.

Adrianna Smith, 15, was last seen in the 3500 block of South Fenton Road, just south of the city of Holly in northwest Oakland County, according to Michigan State Police.

She is believed to have left her home in a 2002 Jeep Liberty with an adult male, possibly a man named Derek Girtman, MSP said.

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Smith is described as having blonde hair and green eyes. She is about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 160 pounds. She has one tattoo above her right knee and another on her left ankle.

Anyone with information about Adrianna’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the MSP Metro North Post at either (800) 495-4677 or (989) 370-8926.



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US supreme court sides with Michigan in its fight to shut down ageing pipeline

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US supreme court sides with Michigan in its fight to shut down ageing pipeline


The supreme court on Wednesday sided with Michigan in ruling that the state’s lawsuit seeking to shut down a section of an ageing pipeline beneath a Great Lakes channel will stay in state court.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for a unanimous court that the Enbridge energy company waited too long to try to move the case to federal court.

The case is part of a messy legal dispute about a pipeline that has moved crude oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario, since 1953.

Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general, sued in state court in June 2019 seeking to void the easement that allows Enbridge to operate a 4.5-mile (6.4km) section of pipeline under the straits of Mackinac, which link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Nessel, a Democrat, won a restraining order shutting down the pipeline from Ingham county judge James Jamo in June 2020, although Enbridge was allowed to continue operations after meeting safety requirements.

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Enbridge moved the lawsuit into federal court in 2021, arguing it affects US and Canadian trade. But a three-judge panel from the sixth US circuit court of appeals sent the case back to Jamo in June 2024, finding that the company missed a 30-day deadline to change jurisdictions.

The pipeline at issue is called Line 5. Concerns over the section beneath the straits rupturing and causing a catastrophic spill have been growing since 2017, when Enbridge engineers revealed they had known about gaps in the section’s protective coating since 2014. A boat anchor damaged the section in 2018, intensifying fears of a spill.

The Michigan department of natural resources under Gretchen Whitmer, the state’s governor, revoked the straits easement for Line 5 in 2020. Enbridge filed a separate federal lawsuit challenging the revocation.

Enbridge won a ruling from a federal judge blocking the move, but Whitmer, a Democrat, has appealed to the sixth US circuit court of appeals. In March, the supreme court rejected Whitmer’s appeal claiming that she couldn’t be sued in federal court.

It was unclear how the federal ruling blocking Whitmer’s revocation attempt would affect Nessel’s case in state court. The company said in a statement that the judge in the Whitmer case had already decided federal regulators, not the state, are responsible for Line 5 safety and they had found no issues that would warrant shutting it down.

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Enbridge also is seeking permits to encase the section of pipeline beneath the straits in a protective tunnel. The Michigan public service commission granted the relevant permits in 2023, but a coalition of environmental groups and Michigan tribes has filed a lawsuit seeking to void state permits for the tunnel. The state supreme court is weighing that case.

Enbridge also needs approval from the US army corps of engineers and the Michigan department of environment, Great Lakes and energy.

The pipeline is at the center of a separate legal dispute in Wisconsin as well. A federal judge in Madison last summer gave Enbridge three years to shut down part of Line 5 that runs across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior’s reservation. The company has appealed against the shutdown order to the seventh US circuit court of appeals, but it started work in February to reroute the line around the reservation.

The Bad River Band and environmental groups have filed a state lawsuit seeking to halt the work, arguing regulators have underestimated the damage the reroute construction will cause. That case also is pending.



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Hockey roundup: Three Michigan State recruits at U18 worlds; Bruins top Sabres

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Hockey roundup: Three Michigan State recruits at U18 worlds; Bruins top Sabres


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Three Michigan State recruits will represent Team USA at the world U18 hockey championships in Bratislava and Trencin, Slovakia.

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The U.S. opens against Czechia on Wednesday (10 a.m., The Hockey Network).

The future Spartans are: defenseman Nick Bogas (Royal Oak), defenseman Tyler Martyniuk (Washington Township) and forward Brooks Rogowski (Brighton).

Other local commits include: defenseman Abe Barnett (University of Michigan) and goalie Luke Carrithers (Western Michigan).

Team USA’s head coach is Nick Fohr (Dexter) with Kevin Porter (Northville) and Dan Darrow (Livonia) among the assistant coaches.

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The tournament features 10 countries with the final scheduled for May 2.

Bruins tie series with Sabres

The visiting Boston Bruins scored three second-period goals and held off a late Buffalo Sabres rally to post a 4-2 win on Tuesday and even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff series at one victory apiece.

Viktor Arvidsson scored in the last two periods, giving the Bruins 1-0 and 4-0 leads. Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha also lit the lamp for Boston, which heads home for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Thursday.

Jonathan Aspirot, Casey Mittelstadt and David Pastrnak each dished out two assists for the Bruins, and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.

Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scored as Buffalo climbed within 4-2 in the closing minutes.

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Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen allowed four goals on 19 shots before Alex Lyon entered in relief following Arvidsson’s second marker, which came just 16 seconds into the third period.

Buffalo had a 36-26 shot advantage, including 20-8 in the third period, but its power play went 0-for-5. Boston finished 1-for-6 on the man advantage.

The physical contest featured 47 penalty minutes for each team.

Following a scoreless opening period, the Bruins took over in the second, scoring on three of their 11 shots against Luukkonen.

Arvidsson broke the deadlock 4:54 into the middle frame, taking Aspirot’s lob pass in ahead of the defense and beating Luukkonen five-hole with a backhander from the left circle.

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A gaffe by Luukkonen helped Boston double its lead with 3:31 left in the period, as Geekie’s high backhanded dump from the far side of center ice eluded him over the glove.

The Bruins’ power play got in on the action 1:41 later. After Geekie’s one- handed keep-in at the blue line extended the play, Zacha tipped in Pastrnak’s shot from the top of the right circle while stationed in the bumper position.

Arvidsson made it 4-0 early in the third, prompting Sabres coach Lindy Ruff to change goaltenders. Aspirot banked a long feed off the boards to set up the play, leading Arvidsson down the left wing to score on a 2-on-1 rush with Zacha.

The Sabres struck twice in a 1:14 span to make things interesting. Byram accepted Beck Malenstyn’s back pass for a wrister from the top of the right circle to break Swayman’s shutout bid with 6:06 left.

Krebs soon made it 4-2, batting down and scoring the rebound of a Rasmus Dahlin point shot that caromed off the post and back into the crease.

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Detroit Red Wings received six A’s in The Detroit News’ final grades for the 2025-2026 season.

Grades and key takeaways for Finnie, Gibson, Seider, Larkin, Raymond and DeBrincat after the Wings’ late collapse.



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