Michigan Football: Ranking each Wolverines opponent in 2022
8. Nebraska (Home November 12th, 2022)
Nebraska is one of the most notable programs in all of college football. Much of the sport’s history is littered with great moments from the Cornhuskers, but the unfortunate thing about history is that it tends to fade.
Nebraska is nowhere near the heights it used to be, even within the past decade. Once they joined the Big Ten in 2011, Cornhuskers football started well but hit a wall starting in 2017. Since then they have finished with a losing record in each season and have not beaten a ranked opponent since Week 3 in 2016.
They came remarkably close to snapping that streak last season when they stunned Michigan in the second half but ultimately fell short. Fortunately for Michigan, this game will be played at the Big House which will certainly play a factor for both teams.
The Cornhuskers will also be without their star quarterback Adrian Martinez, who kept them afloat in their 2021 matchup with Michigan, as he transferred to Kansas State in the offseason. Scott Frost is in one of if not the, hottest seats in coaching so he will need to turn back the clock and rally his team to potentially beat the Wolverines and save his job; but only time will tell.
7. Indiana (Away October 8th, 2022)
One program that took a major step back in 2021 was the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana went from finishing the 2020 season ranked #12 in the AP poll to a 2-10 record last year. A steep decline like this would be cause for alarm in most places but the Hoosiers have also dealt with some major roster transition, namely losing their star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who transferred to Washington. It will be extremely interesting to see what this year’s Indiana team will look like, as they still have the potential they showed in 2020 but they have a lot of questions that are going to need to be answered early this season.
One way to get things back on track would be pulling an upset over one of their Big Ten foes, and Michigan could be that opponent. The matchup with the Wolverines comes at a very vital point in their schedule, sitting right in the middle of Michigan’s October gauntlet. While Indiana is a major underdog in that game, as they should be at the moment, it could be the opportunity Indiana is looking for.