The Michigan football team is coming into the 2024 season as not only the team to beat in the Big Ten, but the Wolverines are the team to beat in all of college football. Michigan won the national championship last year, and they are on the mountaintop of college football. The Wolverines have also won the Big Ten three years in a row, and they are hoping to make it four in a row this year.
Winning a fourth straight conference title is never easy, but the odds couldn’t be more stacked against the Michigan football team. The Wolverines have a new head coach, and they lost 13 players to the NFL. Michigan lost 10 out of 11 offensive starters. That’s not the only issue, however.
Now, there are other contenders in the Big Ten for Michigan to worry about. USC, UCLA Oregon and Washington are all in the Big Ten now, and the Trojans and especially the Ducks are expected to be contenders.
Before, the Wolverines really only had to worry about Ohio State and Penn State. That’s not the case anymore. Here are four teams that could steal the Big Ten crown from Michigan.
Ohio State
The biggest threat to Michigan football remains the same. Ohio State is the biggest game on the schedule every year, and it often decides the Big Ten. That could end up being the case again this season, and we could even see two bitter rivals battle things out two weeks in a row now that there are no divisions. The Buckeyes are expected to contend for not only the Big Ten, but the national championship. They are the favorite to win the Big Ten for a reason.
Oregon
Oregon is definitely the newcomer that Michigan, and the rest of the original Big Ten, should be most worried about. The Ducks were close to being a College Football Playoff team last year, and with the expansion to 12 teams this year, it would be shocking if they missed the cut in 2024. The Ducks will be a preseason top-five team, and they will play the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on November 2nd. That is one of the biggest games on the Big Ten calendar.
Penn State
Penn State is a team that has been close behind Michigan and Ohio State in recent years, but they just haven’t been able to get over the hump. With new contenders in the conference, they have more to worry about, and the obstacle is now more difficult. Still, the Nittany Lions are going to have a great defense, and if Drew Allar can show up for their important games, they can compete. With the experience that Allar has, it’s time for him to step up.
USC
USC is a contender, but it would be pretty surprising to see them win the Big Ten. Still, they are capable of being a good team if they can improve their defense. And that is a massive if. The Trojans were atrocious on that side of the ball last year, and they can kiss any hopes of a good season goodbye if things don’t improve greatly. The offense should be good again, so there is once again a lot of pressure riding on the D.
Michigan football is obviously one of the top contenders as well, and they are hungry for another championship. However, if the Wolverines don’t come out on top, it will likely be one of these four teams that takes the crown.
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