3 most important Michigan football games in 2024 outside of Ohio State

Michigan football has a brutal schedule in 2024. The defending national champions have two playoff teams from 2023 on the schedule, as well as Ohio State, USC, and Oregon.

Yet, it’s a good year to have a tough schedule. College football has expanded to a 12-team playoff, meaning you don’t have to be undefeated or have one loss in order to make the playoff.

Michigan football has made the College Football Playoff three years running. The Wolverines went undefeated in the regular season in 2022 and 2023. Doing it in 2024 is going to be a tall task. Ohio State is loaded and that game is in Columbus.

‘The Game‘ is the most important game on the schedule. There’s no debating that but three others are extremely important for the Wolverines and here they are.

3. Michigan State

Sparty comes to Ann Arbor on Oct. 26th. The Wolverines also face Washington and Illinois in October, so they should be fresh.

The Michigan State game is the start of an important two-game stretch. You just hate to lose to little brother and even though this isn’t the most important rivalry game, it’s still important.

The first game between Sherrone Moore and Johnathan Smith will set the tone for the future. Moore already beat Ohio State as a head coach and it would be awesome to see him beat Sparty in his first attempt.

MSU has struggled in recent years but just like Ohio State, it’s hard to feel like the season is a success without a win over Michigan State.

2. Texas

In a matchup of playoff teams, this game will have tons of hype. Quinn Ewers is the best quarterback in college football right now and he’ll be going up against one of the best defenses in college football.

The Longhorns won at Alabama last season and this team is no joke. It will be a huge test. However, Texas hasn’t seen any defenses like Michigan’s in the Big 12. The Wolverines are going to stop the run and force Ewers to stand in the pocket and win the game.

We’ll see if he can do that. But as far as importance, this will be critical for Michigan’s playoff resume. Win this game and the Wolverines don’t need to win the Big Ten to make the playoff. They could lose to Oregon and Ohio State and still make it with ease.

Hell, if the Wolverines finished 9-3 with a win over a Texas team that does well in the SEC, they could still make the 12-team playoff. The committee has always been impressed by winning these kinds of games and it’s a huge opportunity for both teams.

1. Oregon

One week after the Spartans come to town, Michigan football and Oregon will meet as conference opponents for the first time. Many view the Ducks as national title contenders but the first goal is winning the Big Ten championship.

Ohio State and Oregon also play. So the top three contenders have regular-season matchups against each other. The Wolverines have one at home and it’s a must-win. That might allow Michigan to wrap up a Big Ten championship game berth without having to beat Ohio State.

Even if the Wolverines don’t win the Big Ten or reach the conference title game, a win over Oregon would mean as much as a win over Texas on the resume.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms.