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Why it would be a 'shock' if Michigan doesn't begin 2022 season 4-0

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•05/19/22•

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Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh
Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2021. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines football got off to a 7-0 start last season, its best beginning since rattling off nine consecutive wins to begin the 2022 campaign. In 2022, the Maize and Blue will have the chance to get some early momentum, thanks to a light September schedule.

Michigan begins the season with four September home games, and won’t have to leave Ann Arbor until Oct. 1 at Iowa. The Wolverines start with Colorado State Sept. 3, Hawai’i Sept. 10, UConn Sept. 17 and kick off the Big Ten slate with Maryland Sept. 24.

U-M’s three non-conference opponents won a combined 10 games last season. While Michigan won’t play an FCS opponent, it is one of three Big Ten teams without a Power Five opponent on the non-conference slate, using a loophole of sorts. 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.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh hasn’t lost to a non-Power Five non-conference opponent during his seven years in Ann Arbor, and this isn’t the year where that trend is expected to be bucked.

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“The Wolverines are one of seven Power 5 teams nationally playing zero P5 opponents in non-conference play, and all four games in September are at home,” On3’s Mike Huguenin wrote. “The four: Colorado State, Hawaii, UConn and Maryland. The first three have new coaches and the Wolverines beat the Terps by 41 last season. If Michigan doesn’t start 4-0, it would be a shock.”

Hugenin pegged Kentucky, NC State, Ole Miss and UCLA as also having ‘easy’ September schedules. On the flip side, he named Arizona, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Kent State, Penn State, Texas, Texas Tech, Louisiana-Monroe, Utah and UTSA as having difficult beginnings to the year.

Penn State starts with a road tilt at Purdue in Week 1, before taking on Ohio, then Auburn on the road and home against Central Michigan, which is expected to be a MAC contender. Penn State is one of four Big Ten teams that have non-conference road contests against Power Five teams, joining Michigan State (at Washington), Purdue (at Syracuse) and Rutgers (at Boston College).

Michigan’s schedule is on the lighter side for other reasons, too. For one, the Maize and Blue are one of seven teams nationally with eight home games, only having to travel on the road four times. Additionally, Michigan’s divisional crossover games are at Iowa and home against Nebraska and Illinois. While it certainly could be better — the Hawkeyes are a favorite to win the West — avoiding both Wisconsin and Minnesota is beneficial.

Michigan’s final eight games aren’t a cakewalk, though. Iowa won the West last season, Penn State is expected to rebound nicely with a sixth-year quarterback, Michigan State has won two in a row against the Wolverines and Nebraska might have its best year under head coach Scott Frost. The finale at Ohio State will be a huge challenge, of course, and Michigan is already a two-touchdown underdog.

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

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