Michigan Football: What teams could upset the Wolverines this season?
Michigan football has eight games on its schedule that look pretty winnable. But of those eight games, which team could pull an upset?
Upsets are common in college football and they are part of what makes the sport so fun to watch. Just when you least expect it, the unexpected occurs. Michigan football has avoided upsets in recent years, but in 2017, that could change.
Related Story: Devin Bush is ready to breakout at LB
Earlier Wednesday, Athlon Sports did a ranking of the 2017 Michigan football schedule. It ranked teams by how difficult they would be to beat. Of course, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Florida ranked highest. Teams such as Air Force, Cincinnati and Rutgers were lowest.
But looking at the list got me thinking, of these eight games, which teams should the Wolverines be worried about the most?
The non-conference schedule features Air Force and Cincinnati both coming to the Big House. Those games should both be fairly easy wins, although certainly not push overs.
However, with nine Big Ten games this year, an upset is even more likely. In addition to playing Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State, Michigan will also battle Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, Rutgers and Maryland.
The biggest difference in the nine-game schedule, is that some teams will play five road games, others will play four. It will alternate each year and this season, Michigan football is one team who will play five.
Michigan Wolverines Football
Two of them are against the Badgers and Nittany Lions. The other three are at Indiana, Purdue and Maryland. Wisconsin and Penn State are both toss-up games, but what about the other three?
Certainly, the Hoosiers were tough to beat two years ago in Bloomington and it wouldn’t shock me to see a third-consecutive close game between the two schools. So Indiana has to rank near the top of potential upsets.
Maryland and Purdue, on the other hand, aren’t too scary. The Terps will be better, especially with another season of D.J. Durkin as head coach, but the talent just isn’t there.
That leaves four home games, which outside of Ohio State, seem like easy wins as Rutgers, Michigan State and Minnesota will invade the Big House.
I’d worry about Minnesota on the road, but at home, UM should roll. And as far as Rutgers goes, we all remember the beat down from last season. No need to say more. That leaves us with Michigan State, the one team, in my estimation, that is more capable than anyone else of catching Michigan off guard.
The Spartans did fall on hard times last season and the offseason hasn’t been good to them either. But Mark Dantonio is a fighter and he knows how to win, especially games he isn’t supposed to.
More: Write for us
The things Dantonio has achieved in East Lansing are impressive. And even though some have suggested he’s on the hot seat, unless wrongdoing is proven, it’s the last place he should be.
The Spartans can’t be as bad as they were a season ago and something about playing Michigan brings out the best in them. It’s a safe bet that the Wolverines will be a heavy favorite Oct 7, but Dantonio loves being the underdog. His program has thrived in that role and it’s not crazy to expect it will again.
Next: Top 10 Michigan Running Backs of All Time
At the end of the day, Michigan should beat them. But of the eight games the Wolverines are projected by most to win this season, this is one that makes me most nervous.