The Michigan football team has won the Big Ten in each of the last three seasons, and they are looking for a fourth this year. The Wolverines have been dominant over the rest of the Big Ten in this stretch as they have lost just one conference game in the last three seasons. However, the 2024 season is going to look different. Michigan has a lot of talent to replace, they no longer have Jim Harbaugh as their head coach and there are some new competitors in the conference.

Winning four straight conference championships is no easy task, and the odds are certainly stacked against the Michigan football team this year. Sherrone Moore will be leading the Wolverines for the first time as the (official) head coach of the team, and he will have a lot of new faces to work with. Michigan was loaded with NFL talent last year, and now, they have to reload.

Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium.
© Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan is not expected to come away with the conference crown, but they haven’t been the preseason favorite in any of the past three years. Being the underdog doesn’t bother the Wolverines at all.

This season, Michigan has the fourth best odds to win the conference. Ohio State is the favorite (+155), followed by Oregon (+200), Penn State (+500) and then Michigan (+750).

It’s not going to be easy, but after winning it all last year, this Michigan football team has a standard that they need to uphold. It’s going to be a different team, but it is still a very talented team. The standard now is to beat Ohio State, win the Big Ten and get into the College Football Playoff. However, with the expanded playoff, beating Ohio State and winning the conference is not as necessary as it used to be in terms of making the playoff, but it is obviously the goal.

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It would definitely be disappointing if this Michigan team failed to make the 12-team playoff, and here is one thing that could stop the Wolverines from qualifying.

Quarterback play

Everyone knows that the biggest question mark surrounding this Michigan football team is the quarterback position. The Wolverines haven’t had to worry about this the past couple of years with JJ McCarthy, but he is now in the NFL, and there will be a new starter in Ann Arbor this year.

Now let’s be clear: It’s not like Michigan is coming into this season with no talent at the QB position and there isn’t a good player for the job. It is a question mark because we really don’t know what to expect from any of these players because of lack of experience. There is a lot of potential there and who knows, the QB could end up being a bright spot for Michigan this year. However, the lack of experience at the position could end up being the thing that holds the Wolverines back as well.

The Michigan football QB competition is between Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren. Orji is the only one that has seen meaningful snaps at Michigan, and there haven’t been very many. They have also all only been run plays.

It won’t be long before we find out who the new QB is as the Wolverines will begin their 2024 campaign on August 31st against Fresno State. Who knows what the QB position will look like for Michigan this year, but based on how the rest of the squad looks, this is definitely the biggest question mark for Michigan heading into the season. If they don’t make the playoff, the inexperience at this crucial position could be why.