The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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120 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2023 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 1. Ohio State — It's at home, and Michigan has won the last two meet- ings, but the Buckeyes still pose the big- gest challenge on the schedule. There are some tough road games out there — namely Penn State — but even with a new starting quarterback, the Buck- eyes have as much or more talent as any- one in the country, and they are looking to exact revenge on the Maize and Blue. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. leads the pa- rade of All-Americans on their roster. 2. Penn State — This is splitting hairs with the Ohio State game, due in large part to how difficult it is to play at Beaver Sta- dium. The Nittany Lions are also slated to have a loaded roster on what could be 10th-year head coach James Franklin's best team. Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar, a former five-star recruit, is the X-fac- tor, and he'll have nine starts under his belt by the time U-M comes to State College Nov. 11. 3. Minnesota — The Golden Gophers lost a lot of key pieces from last year's 9-4 squad, but head man P.J. Fleck plugged some holes via the transfer portal. Minnesota will be bat- tle tested before the Oct. 7 meeting with Michigan, having already played Nebraska and North Carolina. 4. Nebraska — The Cornhuskers may well be out of the Big Ten West race by Halloween, but they won't be when Michi- gan arrives for a Sept. 30 showdown, and hopes are high with Matt Rhule now at the helm. The environment was electric the last time the two teams dueled in Lincoln, with the Wolverines escaping 32-29 thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback in 2021. There's no reason why it won't be "off the chain" again, as Jim Harbaugh put it, especially if it's a night game. 5. Maryland — The Terrapins gave Michigan a battle last September, los- ing 34-27 at The Big House, and are one of three Big Ten teams (along with U-M and Rutgers) to return their starting quar- terback this fall. Having a gunslinger in redshirt senior Taulia Tagovailoa and a dynamic receiving corps will give the Ter- rapins a chance each week. EASIEST GAME: Sept. 16 vs. Bowling Green History tells us teams that win a lot of close games one year typically have a worse record the next. Bowling Green won four one-score games in 2022, lost half of its starters and is viewed by multiple national publications as one of the bottom 10 teams in the country heading into 2023. (UNLV is not far behind.) TRAP GAME: Nov. 18 at Maryland Veteran quarterback. Lots of offensive weapons. The week before the biggest game of the season. This has all the makings of a trap game. Michigan struggled the week before Ohio State last season, needing a game-winning kick to take down Illinois (to be fair, the Wolverines were dealing with a lot of injuries), even though they've generally fared well in this spot. The Maize and Blue better be focused and ready for a battle in College Park. BEST ROAD ENVIRONMENT: Nov. 11 at Penn State Michigan is fortunate this won't be played at night in front of a "White Out" crowd, but Beaver Stadium — where the Nittany Lions are 43-7 since 2015 — should be jumping. For the most part over the last several years, the games be- tween Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State have decided the Big Ten East. That's expected to be the case once again, and PSU fans will act accordingly. BEST HOME ATMOSPHERE: Nov. 25 vs. Ohio State The environment before, during and after Michigan's 42-27 beatdown of Ohio State Nov. 27, 2021, was like a movie scene, with fans pumping it up all afternoon as a light snow fell, before a celebration that went long into the night. Both teams will be preseason top-five squads with national championship aspirations, and the stakes should be just as high come late November as that No. 6 (Michigan) vs. No. 2 matchup two years ago. This is the home game Wolverine fans will be waiting for all year. MADE FOR … STREAMING? Sept. 2 vs. East Carolina Michigan's Sept. 2 season opener against East Carolina will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock, NBC's streaming platform. The Wolverines haven't played a game that wasn't broadcast live on television since a win over Miami (Ohio) Sept. 30, 1995, which aired on tape delay. BEST ROAD TRIP: Sept. 30 at Nebraska "Nebraska Nice" was literally the state's slogan at one time. Michigan and Nebraska fans have the propensity to disagree, at times — cough, cough, 1997 — but the Cornhuskers are accom- modating hosts. Lincoln and nearby Omaha are great places to stay, too, and Memorial Stadium is a classic college football venue. TROPHY STREAK: Oct. 7 at Minnesota Michigan hasn't lost to Minnesota in Minneapolis since a 16-0 setback Oct. 22, 1977. The Wolverines have taken the Little Brown Jug, college football's oldest rivalry trophy, home with them after the last 17 clashes in Gopher territory. The Gophers have won at U-M three times during that stretch, with 2014 be- ing the most recent occurrence. Opponent Overview U-M Schedule Superlatives BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Michigan's Five Most Difficult Games James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are 0-4 against Michigan and Ohio State over the past two seasons and 18-4 against everyone else in the Big Ten in that span. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN