Michigan takeaways from On3's Big Ten football schedule breakdown

On3’s Mike Huguenin performed a breakdown of the 2022 college football schedule, with takeaways on each conference and team, including the Big Ten and Michigan. That spurred us to dig a bit deeper on the Big Ten and gather some more facts and thoughts on the schedules this fall.

First, here are some of Huguenin’s takeaways regarding the Big Ten:

• Seven Power 5 teams are playing zero non-conference games against other Power 5 foes. The seven: Arkansas, Baylor (no surprise at all, as we explain below), Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon State and UCLA. (Arkansas and Indiana are playing Cincinnati, though.)

• Games vs. FCS opponents: Nine. Every league team has one except Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State (interestingly, all are in the East Division – the tougher of the two in the league).

• Non-conference games vs. Power 5 opponents: 11. Every league team has one except Indiana, Maryland and Michigan. (Ohio State is the only league team playing Notre Dame, and five of the 11 are against ACC opponents.)

• Four non-conference road games against Power 5 opponents: Michigan State at Washington, Penn State at Auburn, Purdue at Syracuse, and Rutgers at Boston College.

• Three non-conference road games against non-Power 5 opponents: Indiana at Cincinnati, Maryland at Charlotte, and Rutgers at Temple.

• Nine Big Ten teams have seven home games, while Northwestern, Purdue and Rutgers have six. Michigan and Ohio State each have eight; they are among just five teams nationally with eight home games (one is in the Pac-12, two are in the SEC). In addition, Nebraska and Northwestern play each other at a neutral site.

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The Wolverine’s Take

Here are our thoughts on Michigan’s schedule in the context of the rest of the Big Ten:

• We’ll start with what we’ve long believed since the schedules were revealed: Michigan’s is quite favorable. The Wolverines open up with four-straight home games, before traveling to Iowa and Indiana in consecutive weeks. Games against two teams that were each at least relatively strong last year, Penn State and Michigan State, are at The Big House, and Nebraska will head to Ann Arbor as well. The regular-season finale will be at Ohio State, of course, but Michigan very well may head to Columbus undefeated or with one loss. Ohio State returns a boatload of production from its stellar, 11-win season last year, and is one of the top preseason national title contenders, so that will be a huge challenge.

• Michigan and Ohio State being the only two teams with eight home games was a source of frustration for some opposing fans when the schedules came out. The reality is with nine league games per year, Big Ten teams get five home conference games every other season and get to schedule their own non-conference slates, so there’s nobody to really complain to.

If folks want something to be unhappy about with Michigan’s 2022 football schedule … it’s having EIGHT home games. Oy. That should never happen. For U-M, .500 next season is 8-4, just as 5-7 would be for a mid-major team with five home games. U-M should be judged by that.

— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) January 12, 2022

Big Ten teams are required to schedule one non-conference opponent from either a Power Five conference, an independent or certain Group of Five teams such as Cincinnati Connecticut and Navy. The fact that Michigan has UConn, which finished last season 1-11, on the schedule is the real reason why the Wolverines should feel good about their slate.

• As shown above, there are some big-time non-conference games involving Big Ten teams that will take place in September, much like Michigan’s contest against Washington last season (though the Huskies turned out to be much worse than their preseason top-25 ranking). The truth is, these games are scheduled years in advance, and nobody knows what the state of a given program will be when the two teams actually face off. We’ll have our eye on Notre Dame vs. Ohio State to open the season, and Michigan State at Washington and Penn State at Auburn in week three.

• The Big Ten schedules much tougher than most other Power Five leagues. While nine teams will play FCS opponents, the Big Ten East will largely stay away from that, with Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State all avoiding those teams this fall. The Wolverines haven’t faced an FCS opponent since playing UMass in 2013.

Michigan Football 2022 Schedule

Sept. 3 – vs. Colorado State

Sept. 10 – vs. Hawaii

Sept. 17 – vs. UConn

Sept. 24 – vs. Maryland

Oct. 1 – at Iowa

Oct. 8 – at Indiana

Oct. 15 – vs. Penn State

Oct. 22 – BYE

Oct. 29 – vs. Michigan State

Nov. 5 – at Rutgers

Nov. 12 – vs. Nebraska

Nov. 19 – vs. Illinois

Nov. 26 – at Ohio State