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Michigan football should be early favorite for Big Ten Championship

Michigan’s 13-1 season came to a close last weekend, and it’s already looking like the Wolverines could do it again in 2023.

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Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett (23) celebrates a tackle against Ohio State as fellow linebacker Mike Morris looks on during the second half Nov. 26, 2022 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

Last weekend we saw the 2022 Michigan football season come to a close. Sadly, the Wolverines dropped a tight game to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl, yet still finished 13-1 overall. Now, as we look towards the future of U-M football, there is no reason to believe that the Wolverines cannot win the Big Ten for the third-straight season.

Michigan’s 2021 and 2022 seasons give hope for 2023

Ever since Michigan football finished the 2020 season with a 2-4 overall record, the Wolverines have been on a hot streak. As Jim Harbaugh stated during the 2021 Big Ten media day, Michigan football desperately needed to beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten. “We’re gonna do it or die trying,” Harbaugh said.

The season that followed was one that no one saw coming. Michigan football went on a hot streak and got to 11-1 in the regular season with an impressive 42-27 win over the 2nd-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The following weekend, the Wolverines knocked off No. 13 Iowa (10-2) 42-3 in the Big Ten Championship game. The Wolverines ultimately finished the season 12-2 overall and ranked No. 3 in the country — 2021 was the season that got Michigan back on track.

A year later, Michigan football sustained its success in an equally-important season for completely different reasons. Unlike 2021, the Wolverines now needed to keep this momentum and continue winning. For the first time in decades, Michigan football managed to knock off Michigan State, Penn State, and Ohio State in the same season. Jim Harbaugh and Co. marched into Columbus and beat No. 2 Ohio State 45-23 to cap off their perfect 12-0 regular season.

Like the 2021 conference title game, Michigan beat up on the Big Ten West Champions and won in dominant fashion over Purdue (43-22). Sadly, Michigan football could not overcome No. 3 TCU in the College Football Playoff, though that does not change how great the Wolverines’ season truly was. Michigan football ends the year with a 13-1 record and another conference title.

Wolverines should be an early favorite

Now that the season is over, it’s time to start focusing on Michigan’s odds for the 2023 season. As scary as it may be for fans of other Big Ten schools, the Wolverines are returning a ton of production and have some serious talent coming to Ann Arbor next fall. On top of that, Michigan football managed to patch many of its holes on both sides of the ball via its top-ranked transfer portal class, which includes seven high-profile transfers.

On offense, the Wolverines will still have JJ McCarthy starting at quarterback as well as Donovan Edwards and possibly Blake Corum in the backfield. On top of that, Michigan should have another incredible offensive line and some experienced receivers.

Ideally Michigan will bring both coordinators and its head coach back in 2023, though all of that is still up in the air. Michigan will have a stacked defense and sturdy offense next fall just as we have seen in Ann Arbor over the past two seasons. Penn State should be pretty scary next year and Ohio State will always pose a threat, though as of right now, I do not see anyone that should be favored against the Wolverines on paper.

With many unknowns around the Big Ten and surrounding the National Championship conversation in 2023, there is no reason to believe the Wolverines will take a step back. In fact, there is a good chance next season could be even better than the 2022 season.

CJ has covered college athletics in paid roles for around five years, including numerous sports and beats. His most recent work revolves largely around Penn State and Michigan football and basketball as a member of the credentialed media at both schools. Right now, CJ writes for Blue by Ninety, where he also serves as the site's credentialed football reporter. He also does some credentialed basketball coverage. Previously, CJ has made stops with sites like GBMWolverine, Saturday Blitz, Steeler Nation, and more.

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