ANN ARBOR -- Michigan has known it will face Alabama in the Citrus Bowl for nearly two weeks now.

The Wolverines have had a chance to game plan and study film heading into the Jan. 1 matchup in Orlando, but they don't need a reminder of the impact the Crimson Tide has had on college football over the past 10 years.

The program has played in seven national title games since 2009, winning five. No. 13 Alabama (10-2) will not compete in the College Football Playoff for the first time since the format was adopted in 2014, but it's still a chance for Michigan (9-3) to make a statement against an elite program.

"If you were to tell me we would be playing Alabama in a bowl game at the beginning of the year, I thought we would be in the national championship," Michigan senior left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. told reporters inside Schembechler Hall on Monday. "That is not the case this year, but it is another good program, great team. The stuff they have accomplished this past decade speaks for itself.

"We are not afraid. They are just another team. We are just excited going into this matchup."

Although senior linebacker Josh Uche said he would play in Michigan's bowl game no matter who it faced, the opportunity to play a premier program like Alabama only reinforced his decision.

"Of course it carries weight," Uche said. "Everyone has grown up watching Alabama. It is just exciting we get to play such a historic program. We get to compete against them on one of the biggest stages. It just carries a lot of excitement to it."

The Crimson Tide has brought in top-five recruiting classes each of the past five seasons and continues to churn out first-round NFL draft picks at a high rate.

This year is no different, where up to 10 Alabama players could be selected in the first 31 picks.

"Just growing up and seeing Alabama and the types of players they got and the type of players they put in the NFL, having a chance to play against a team like that is a real blessing," senior "viper" Khaleke Hudson said.

Not all of Alabama's projected draft picks are expected to play against the Wolverines. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for the season with an injury, while linebacker Terrell Lewis and cornerback Trevon Diggs said this week they will sit out the bowl game to begin preparing for the draft.

Although the Crimson Tide allowed 46 points against LSU and 48 points against Auburn, the team still ranks 15th in the country in scoring defense.

"They are kind of as stout and as sound as Iowa up front and as fast as Ohio State," Runyan said. "That poses a big challenge. They have a lot of young guys that start on their defense. We know that. We have a lot of old and experienced guys on our offensive line, so we are going to do our best to throw some stuff at them, give them a little dirty eyes in the backfield, make them play and feel uncomfortable."

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Offensively, Alabama is one of the most explosive teams in the nation, led by talented receivers DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III, who all have over 719 receiving yards this season.

The team is second in scoring offense at 48.3 points per game.

"They've got big-play ability guys," Hudson said. "Good receiving core, good running back in Najee Harris. Their backup quarterback is pretty good also. They're an offense that works as one. They work together. If you let them get a chance, they can be very explosive."

Meanwhile, Michigan players reiterated Monday that everyone who is healthy enough to play is expected to suit up against Alabama. Although the regular season ended with another disappointing loss to Ohio State, the Citrus Bowl is an opportunity for the Wolverines to rewrite the ending to their season.

“We have to move on,” Hudson said. “I just feel like every loss or every win, you learn something about yourself, you learn something about your team. We didn’t come out on top, but the most important thing is, we have another day to live. We’ve got more football to play, and that is what we’re focusing on. We’re focusing on Alabama and what we are going to do today in practice to make sure on Jan. 1 we come out with a victory.”

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