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 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).
One thing that will be difficult for Michigan football this season on their quest for a fourth straight Big Ten title is their schedule. The Wolverines have one of the hardest schedules in college football, and that will obviously make winning the conference a challenge. Here are their four most difficult games ranked from easiest to hardest.
USC
The first new Big Ten team that Michigan will face is USC as the Trojans will come to Ann Arbor on September 21st. That will be the first conference game for the Wolverines, and it will be one of their trickiest. However, there are a lot of question marks around this USC team. They should have a good offense despite losing Caleb Williams, but if their defense doesn’t improve, they stand no chance in this game and Michigan will likely beat them fairly easily. The line currently favors the Wolverines by 8.5 points.
Oregon
Oregon only being at #3 here says a lot about how challenging this Michigan football schedule is. The Ducks are not only going to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but also the country. They have the second best odds to win the conference behind Ohio State, and they seem like a lock to go to the College Football Playoff. Oddsmakers are taking Oregon in this one as they are currently favored by 2.5 points.
Texas
Perhaps the biggest game of the non-conference college football season will be played in Ann Arbor, Michigan in week two. This is supposed to be Texas’ best season in a long time as they return a lot of talent from their College Football Playoff team last year, and they are expected to be back in the playoff again this year. The Longhorns have Quinn Ewers back at quarterback, and that should give them a big edge this season. This is a must-watch game, and the line currently favors Texas by 3.5 points.
@ Ohio State
Like just about every season, Michigan football will play their toughest game of the season during the final week. The Wolverines are heading to Columbus this year, and they are huge underdogs as the preseason line for this game favors Ohio State by 10 points. This is a national title or bust year for the Buckeyes, and they are loaded with talent. However, Michigan was a big underdog the last time they played in The Shoe as well, and they ended up winning by 22 points. The Wolverines are hoping to make it four in a row over their bitter rival on Thanksgiving weekend.
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