Some teams have easier schedules, and some have brutal ones, and unfortunately for the maize and blue, they fall more toward the latter end of the spectrum. But generally, despite the difficulty, to some degree, it’s manageable.
Michigan football will face Oklahoma in Week 2, has Iowa in Week 4, a two-game stretch hosting Penn State and Indiana, and still has a rivalry game against Michigan State (regardless of how good or bad MSU might be, they’re almost always a challenge). But it’s the final stretch that stands out as being potentially brutal.
CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford ranked teams with the most brutal stretches on their schedule, and the Wolverines came in ranked No. 6, with the final three games of the year presenting something of a unique challenge.
6. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines’ new-look defense under a first-year staff will be tested down the stretch this season. They’ll have to deal with Heisman candidate Dante Moore and the Ducks in mid-November, before hosting UCLA in the home finale prior to the showdown at Ohio State. Expectations might be low nationally for Bob Chesney in his first campaign with the Bruins, but don’t tell him that. He signed a top-25 portal class and welcomed nearly 60 newcomers to the roster.
The Buckeyes haven’t beaten the Wolverines in Columbus since 2018, which is borderline difficult to fathom given the talent and elite finishes Ohio State has achieved over that stretch. Both of these programs have won national championships recently, and this one always has high stakes — both for the Big Ten title race and CFP discussion.
Michigan has just four road games all season (the others are October trips to Minnesota and Rutgers), but having to face both Oregon and Ohio State on the road seems particularly daunting. But, if Michigan can steal the game in Eugene, it might not portend November disaster as it may be otherwise.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football faces a brutal late season stretch
Reporting by Isaiah Hole, Wolverines Wire / Wolverines Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
