Michigan Football: Ranking Michigan’s matchups by importance

#9 Maryland

Much like Rutgers, Maryland has not been able to compete with Michigan football since joining the Big Ten. The Terrapins knocked off the Wolverines in 2014, but haven’t come closer than three touchdowns in the last five meetings.

This matchup comes one week prior to The Game, and some would argue that it’s important to have momentum before bringing in your arch-rival, and that is true, but we must look at this game on its own, and when we do, we realize that it doesn’t hold very much importance.

#8 Northwestern

Believe it or not, Northwestern hasn’t made a trip to Ann Arbor in six years. The Wildcats are coming off a pleasantly surprising 7-2 season in which they competed quite well with Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, and beat Auburn convincingly in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.

Pat Fitzgerald’s squad will once again be competing for the top spot in the Big Ten West, and will be a tough challenge for the Wolverines.

This game would rank higher on my list, but it comes following a bye week, and it will be played at home. This game might be a tougher challenge than some may think, but in the grand scheme of things, the next game on my list is more important to the trajectory of the season.

#7 Nebraska

The Wolverines travel to Lincoln, Nebraska one week after clashing with the Badgers in Madison. It’s well within the realm of possibility that Michigan football

drops its first game of the season to the Badgers, and rebounding against the Cornhuskers will be vitally important.

Should the Wolverines enter week six with a 4-1 record, the matchup against Nebraska will determine whether the Wolverines are true Big Ten contenders, or if it will be another average season for Jim Harbaugh’s team. Nebraska isn’t a Big Ten powerhouse or even a perennial contender, but the Huskers are quietly one of Michigan’s more important opponents in 2021.