The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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116 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan successfully de- fended its Big Ten cham- pionship last season, run- ning it back with a 13-1 record in Jim Harbaugh's eighth year as the program's head coach. It proved the 2021 season was no fluke, and now the ex- pectation is that the Wolverines will find a way to do it for a third campaign in a row. The program has legitimate national championship aspirations but has to first take care of business in its neck of the woods. Michigan inherently brings out the best in its opponents, week in and week out, but its defining trait in the last few years is a refusal to flinch when its foes throw the first punch. No team will look to take a bigger swing at Michigan than its archrival Ohio State Buckeyes, who are coming off back-to- back losses to the Wolverines for the first time since 1999-2000. OSU brings an- other loaded roster into the season but has question marks regarding quarterback and whether or not Ryan Day can get the program's killer instinct back. Elsewhere in the Big Ten East, Penn State is looking to pounce on the two top dogs in the division, entering the year as a top-10 team with its matchup against U-M coming at home. That could wind up deciding who is the favorite to win the division heading into the last few weeks of the season. The West division has some intriguing new blood with Wisconsin and Nebraska hiring new coaches Luke Fickell and Matt Rhule, respectively. Those turnarounds could come quickly, given the pedigree of both hires. Iowa is also trending back up after adding former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara to help manage an of- fense that would have been more danger- ous with even average quarterback play the last few years. Minnesota and P.J. Fleck will always be a tough out, and Bret Bielema has turned Illinois into a program that approximates what he built at Wisconsin. The conference title still likely comes down to Michigan or Ohio State, though. The two will meet on Nov. 25 in Ann Ar- bor with College Football Playoff impli- cations on the line. Both made it last year and could do it again in the right set of scenarios. ❑ Preview Preview Michigan, Ohio State Have Competition In 2023 Race On3 ranked Ohio State junior receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. the third-best player in the country. PHOTO COURTESY OHIO STATE ATHLETICS