A lemon? At least sun will be sweet

It might not be the Fiesta Bowl, and it might not be the Rose Bowl. But at least it's not the Insight.com Bowl.

Michigan will square off with Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1 in Orlando, in a battle of firsts for both teams. It will be the first time the two teams have ever played each other; it will also be the first time either team has played in the Citrus Bowl.

And while each team may have held loftier aspirations at some point earlier this season, neither is acting like the New Year's Day battle will be a lemon.

The Wolverines (9-3) kept alive hopes of a Rose Bowl return until the final game of the season, when a loss to Ohio State dropped the Wolverines into a three-way tie for the Big Ten championship. Wisconsin, by virtue of the conference's tiebreak system, will spend New Year's in Pasadena.

Arkansas (9-2) won its first seven games before losing, in the game's final seconds, to still-undefeated and No. 1 Tennessee. The Razorbacks later lost to Mississippi State as well, but are just a few cumulative minutes away from an undefeated regular season themselves.

First-year Arkansas coach Houston Nutt has received rave reviews for turning a 4-7 team into a serious bowl contender and a national competitor.

"I've got as much respect for Houston Nutt, and for the job he's done, as anyone in the country," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said earlier this week. "Arkansas is a team that plays extremely hard, and is very aggressive on defense - much like we try to be here at Michigan."

Both teams are noted for tough defenses, but Arkansas is used to the speedy SEC style of play, while the Wolverines spend most of their time in the powerful - but less fleet of foot - Big Ten. With Michigan adjusting to the warm Southern climate, it could prove to be an advantage for the Razorbacks.

Either way, a Michigan win would be a quality win over a southern opponent - a rarity for Big Ten teams. Last year, a supposedly tough Ohio State team was embarrassed by Florida State in the Citrus Bowl in what was, overall, a dismal showing by the Big Ten in bowl games.

Carr said his team was "thrilled to be representing the Big Ten" in Orlando, and why not? It might not be the biggest postseason game in all the land, but it sure does beat the Motor City Bowl.

12-11-98