2023 Michigan football schedule shows quality is more important than quantity

The 2023 Michigan football schedule has been heavily debated throughout the long offseason. For the Wolverines, this is the second straight season that the Maize and Blue have not played a single impressive non-conference team.

On top of that, the Big Ten only has a few ranked teams this year, and two of them (Iowa and Wisconsin) are not on the slate for the Maize and Blue. Still, this year’s schedule has something that many teams do not have to worry about — a pair of preseason top-5 opponents.

2023 Michigan football schedule prioritizes quality over quantity

Michigan will kick off the 2023 season against ECU with a Maize Out game in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will then host another two cupcake teams at home before beginning Big Ten play against Rutgers — a fourth-straight home game.

There are a few daunting road games throughout the middle of the season, such as tests against Nebraska, Minnesota, and Michigan State. Additionally, Maryland appears to be a massive trap game considering it is sandwiched between the Wolverines’ two biggest games.

While 10 of the 12 games on the 2023 Michigan football schedule are against preseason unranked teams and should be games that the Wolverines easily win, there are two that stand out as massive tests. According to Phil Steele’s preseason top 25 power rankings, Michigan football will face two top-5 teams — Penn State and Ohio State. Ohio State, one of the nation’s best teams on a yearly basis, will make the trip to Ann Arbor this fall, while the Wolverines will face the Nittany Lions on the road in mid-November, which will be a challenge in and of itself.

While Michigan’s schedule lacks quantity (many tough opponents), it makes up for it with two of the nation’s top opponents, which will largely determine where Jim Harbaugh’s 9th Michigan football team ends up all said and done. If the Wolverines pass both tests — just as they have done over the past two seasons — Michigan is poised to win a third-straight Big Ten title and appear in the College Football Playoff once again.

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