Michigan football continues to achieve meaningful goals in 2022

Michigan football improved to 8-0 after a dominant win over Michigan State last weekend. With the win, the Wolverines continue to check off huge boxes for the program itself.

No. 4 Michigan football (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) bested Michigan State (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) 29-7 last Saturday, which marks yet another season-defining goal achieved this year for the Wolverines. Michigan football came into the year with high hopes, and so far they are proving to be accurate.

The Wolverines were favored by multiple scores heading into the Michigan State game, though this is nothing uncommon for Michigan under Jim Harbaugh. In eight meetings, Michigan is 4-4 against the Spartans; however, the Wolverines have been favored in all eight games.

It is notable that Michigan football was 0-2 against Mel Tucker heading into the Battle for Paul Bunyan, but a year three fall apart for Tucker’s Spartans made Michigan’s win an expectation.

Harbaugh’s 1-3 (now 2-3) record against Michigan State in the Big House was also worrisome heading into this year’s MSU game, but Michigan football broke that trend with a dominant win.

For the Wolverines, this year’s goals were simple: beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten. Yet if you look past those goals, Michigan football has plenty of sub-goals that have already been accomplished:

• Stay perfect on the year (so far so good through eight games)
• Beat Penn State (won 41-17 in the Maize Out)
• Win big road games (beat Iowa on the road for the first time since 2004)
• Beat Michigan State (won 29-7 under the lights)

The Wolverines obviously have plenty of remaining goals with four games left on the schedule. Winning out, beating No. 14 Illinois, beating No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus, winning the Big Ten, making the playoff, etc. are still yet to be accomplished.

So far Michigan has done everything it was supposed to do. The Wolverines’ remaining opponents are at Rutgers, Nebraska, Illinois, and at Ohio State. Illinois looks solid, but I think Michigan has a very good shot at going 11-0 heading into ‘The Game’ this year. There is a good chance that, like in 2021 and many years before, the season’s results will come down to Michigan’s game against Ohio State.

If the Wolverines win out heading into their matchup with the Buckeyes, Michigan’s floor should be a share of the Big Ten East title and a trip to the Rose Bowl with an 11-1 record. The ceiling? As of right now, it is a Big Ten title, a trip to the College Football Playoff, and a National Championship.

A lot can change in four games, just ask the 2016 Michigan Wolverines. That being said, so far so good in Ann Arbor.