Michigan’s schedule among most difficult, intriguing in college football

Michigan will play a rematch of last season’s national championship, its first regular-season game on the West Coast in 20 years, and it is not the highlight of Michigan’s 2024 schedule. It doesn’t even crack the top three.

After two straight years of brutally boring scheduling, the Wolverines have a challenging, exciting slate this fall. National media has certainly noticed.

This time last year, and the year before, Michigan was the butt of scheduling jokes. Outside of Big Ten games, the Wolverines did not face a single power-conference team during that span (in the regular season). Overmatched teams showed up at Michigan Stadium as heavy underdogs and left with their tails between their legs.

In 2022 and 2023, Michigan won its six nonconference games by a combined score of 262-33. The closest margin was 25 points. In half of those games, the opponent never reached the end zone.

This year -- finally, mercifully -- is different. Michigan will try to defend its national championship from a pack of wolves.

The top quarter of Michigan’s schedule is unmatched across college football. The Wolverines play Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas, which are ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the preseason polls. Michigan also plays USC, ranked No. 23 in the preseason AP poll.

A handful of outlets have ranked all 134 teams leading up to the season. Using those rankings, Michigan will face another half dozen teams in the top half of the sport. Arkansas State and Indiana, ranked in the 80s, are the exceptions.

Michigan’s schedule, overall, is ranked fifth nationally (by College Football News), and in the top 10 according to Sports Illustrated and the College Football Network. Phil Steele has Michigan’s schedule as the 15th most difficult. Nobody is laughing at the Wolverines now. As a bonus, rival Ohio State is catching heat. ESPN said the Buckeyes have the easiest nonconference schedule among power-conference teams, a (dis)honor Michigan held the previous two summers.

The Longhorns’ visit alone (on Sep. 7) buoys Michigan’s nonconference slate. Texas made the playoff last year, losing in the final minute to Washington, and returns enough talent to be considered a title contender in 2024. It’s the sort of marquee early-season test Michigan has lacked in recent years. Fresno State, which opens the season at Michigan Stadium on Aug. 31, was picked third in the Mountain West.

The public doesn’t have to wait until November to see if Michigan is for real. We’ll know early on, and so will the Wolverines, who will have to prove themselves against top competition throughout the season.