Michigan football, the winningest program in the history of the sport, is coming off its best-ever three-year stretch.
The Wolverines went 42-3 since the start of 2021 as they bulldozed their way to three consecutive Big Ten championships and three straight College Football Playoff appearances, which included last season’s Rose Bowl abd CFP title game victories to cap a program-record 15-0 finish.
But it is worth pointing out U-M had one of the easiest nonconference schedules in the country during that run. In 2021, Michigan beat Western Michigan and Northern Illinois by a combined 88 points and also throttled a Washington team that would go just 4-8 in a tumultuous season in Seattle.
Michigan defensive back Will Johnson celebrates after intercepting a pass from Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023.
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In 2022, Michigan faced Hawaii, Colorado State and UConn — three schooles that went 12-26 combined — and won those three games by a total score of 166-17.
And then, in 2023, the Wolverines racked up nonconference wins against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green by a combined 96-16 score. In total, U-M has not trailed in a September nonconference game since battling Army in a double-overtime nailbiter in Ann Arbor on Sept. 7, 2019.
All those nonconference cupcakes have left the season’s first couple months feeling more like an afterthought, as U-M waited until late October and November to face Penn State and Ohio State and determine its East Division fate.
The 2024 season is more than two months away, but it’s safe to say U-M will face a much tougher nonconference test. The Wolverines start with Fresno State, which went 9-4 last season and was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-football-readies-tougher-2024-100849129.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-06-13 10:08:49
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