The Wolverines left for Miami on Dec. 21 to get acclimated to the surroundings and hopefully continue what has been a two-year bowl winning streak when leaving Ann Arbor prior to Christmas.

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"Academically, there is no conflict between final exams and football,'' Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "That's really the most important reason for going the way we do.''

Wins over Washington State in the Rose Bowl and Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl the past two seasons also give Carr a reason to continue the two-week on-site preparations he initiated prior to the Wolverines' last trip to Pasadena.

"It's a big thing to do, especially when you're going to Florida,'' guard Steve Hutchinson said. "We learned that last year. Your body needs time to get used to the heat. It also means we can concentrate on football. That helps get us ready.''

Michigan closed with wins over Penn State and Ohio State and will be seeking its third straight season of 10 or more victories under Carr.

Getting there won't be easy given the manner in which Alabama disposed of Florida in the SEC championship game.

"We were impressed a ton by them,'' tackle Jeff Backus said. "They played a great game, and we expect the same thing in the bowl game. We know we have our work cut out for us.''

Carr thinks the Wolverines will be ready.

"This is not only a great traditional bowl game, but we're playing against an Alabama team that has great tradition and has had a great season,'' Carr said. "It should be a tremendous football game.''

The Personnel File

DEBORD STAYS, FOR NOW: Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord will stick around long enough to coach the Wolverines in the Orange Bowl despite being named the head coach at Central Michigan in early December.

"Mike expressed an interest in doing this, and I wanted him to stay because of the players,'' Carr said. "He has been a tremendous asset to Michigan football. He did a tremendous job as the offensive coordinator. He's part of this family, and he always will be.''

Among the assistants DeBord has hired is Carr's son, Jason, a former Michigan quarterback who was coaching at Vanderbilt.

DECISION TO MAKE: Junior tailback Anthony Thomas faces a choice after the Orange Bowl -- declare himself eligible for the NFL draft or return to Michigan for his senior season.

"I haven't the slightest idea or clue,'' said Thomas, who rushed for 1,257 yards and 16 touchdowns. "I can honestly say I haven't thought about it one bit. Whatever answer I'd give, it wouldn't be the truth.''

Thomas isn't projected as a first-round pick, but Alabama tailback Shaun Alexander is.

"As long as everybody keeps their eyes off me, I'm fine with it,'' said Thomas, who rushed for 100 or more yards in his last five games.

INJURY UPDATE: CB Brandon Williams (broken leg) and DL Eric Wilson (knee) are questionable for the Orange Bowl.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver David Terrell had big seasons, but no one was more valuable to the Wolverines' offense than tailback Anthony Thomas. He carried 283 times for 1,257 yards and 16 touchdowns. Terrell was the Wolverines' second-leading rusher with 89 yards on reverses.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nose tackle Rob Renes gave the Wolverines a solid run retardant up front and regularly commanded double-teaming in pass protection. Defensive end James Hall and safety Tommy Hendricks also had outstanding years, but everything started with Renes' push from the center of the line.

COACH UPDATE: Lloyd Carr (48-13 in five seasons) once again showed a knack for coaching his best when under fire the most. Back in 1997, Carr was getting hammered for losing four games each of his first two years. All he did then was lead Michigan to a 12-0 finish and national title. This year, the grumbling returned when Michigan lost back-to-back games to Michigan State and Illinois. Finishing with three straight wins, including consecutive triumphs over Penn State and Ohio State, silenced the critics.

STRENGTHS: Michigan has found its offensive stride as Brady established himself as the team's unquestioned leader. Since taking over the QB job full-time, he's led the team to three consecutive wins, all with fourth-quarter comebacks.

CONCERNS: Michigan's vulnerability to the big pass play has been a problem, and Alabama, especially with wideout Freddie Milons can be dangerous. The Wolverines battled dismissals and injuries in the secondary that thinned their depth from the start of the season.

Noteworthy

THAT PROVES IT: Michigan wasn't alone in losing two straight games during the season.

Every other team in the Big Ten Conference lost at least two consecutive at one time or another, all of them in league play except for Wisconsin, which lost its final non-conference game at Cincinnati and then opened the Big Ten with a loss to Michigan.

"When you consider that every team lost two in a row, that tells you something about the competitiveness of the Big Ten,'' Carr said. "... going into this season, we all understood (the schedule) would be challenging. Our players did a tremendous job of handling all the things that went on during the season.''

A Look Ahead

Here's a glance at who the Wolverines will have to replace in the starting lineup next season.

OFFENSE: Five. Normally it's hard to lose a team MVP like quarterback Tom Brady, but with Drew Henson waiting to take over, the Wolverines should be OK there. The biggest losses are WR Marcus Knight, FB Aaron Shea and offensive linemen Steve Frazier and Chris Ziemann.

DEFENSE: Six. All are huge losses, including three up front in Rob Renes, Josh Williams and James Hall. LBs Ian Gold and Dhani Jones are also gone, as is SS Tommy Hendricks.

SPECIAL TEAMS: One. Punt returner DiAllo Johnson can be replaced without pain.