Michigan football facing daunting three-game stretch to close out the 2023 season

This fall, Michigan football will take the field in pursuit of the program’s first-ever national title game berth, something that the Wolverines have come close to twice in a row, yet have fallen short on both occasions. After claiming back-to-back Big Ten titles and making College Football Playoff appearances, it appears that the Maize and Blue are poised to finally overcome all of the program’s past obstacles during the 2023 schedule, finally pushing for this season’s national championship — a feat Michigan has not achieved since 1997.

Final quarter of the 2023 Michigan football schedule appear daunting

That said, the Wolverines must get through their 2023 regular season before discussions of a conference title and the College Football Playoff can resume. For Michigan football, this year’s schedule is not too daunting; however, the final three games of their regular season appear to be quite challenging.

The Wolverines are expected to head to State College in Week 10 with a 9-0 record. While road games at Minnesota, Michigan State, and Nebraska will pose challenges, they are all games that Michigan football is expected to win. In Week 10, when the Maize and Blue travel to face the Nittany Lions in a “stripe out” game at Penn State, they will face their biggest test to date.

If Jim Harbaugh and his program can overcome the Lions in Beaver Stadium, as they did in 2021, the Wolverines will face another potential trap game on the road against the Maryland Terrapins. While Michigan should easily win against Maryland, the Terps can prove to be a tough opponent, as demonstrated in 2022. Moreover, this game falls between Michigan’s two biggest matchups — Penn State and Ohio State — so the Wolverines must remain focused to avoid an upset.

If/when Michigan football successfully passes this test as well, they will be confronted with their toughest game on the schedule: a Week 13 matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes, which will likely determine the Big Ten East champion.

This three-game stretch is less than ideal for the Wolverines, and it’s a segment that Michigan football fans should keep a close eye on heading into the 2023 season. If the Wolverines aim to finally claim a national title, these three games are must-win as they represent late-season challenges for the Maize and Blue. Additionally, these games could have huge implications in the race for this year’s Big Ten championship.

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