Michigan Football: Ceiling and Floor for Wolverines 2023 Season

Michigan football is coming off of two of its best seasons ever, but many fans are expecting 2023 to be even better

The Wolverines have seen extreme success over the past two seasons, defeating the rival Buckeyes, winning the Big Ten Championship, and making the College Football Playoffs in both seasons. Now, the Wolverines are hungry for more.

The roster and staff that Jim Harbaugh has built looks like a prime National Championship contender, and with lots of turnover for many of the top teams in the nation, the Wolverines have a chance to take home a title.

The Wolverines have a relatively easy schedule compared to past seasons, as they do not play either of the top two projected teams in the Big Ten West – Iowa and Wisconsin. The Wolverines, as always, still have a gauntlet in the Big Ten East.

Without further ado, let’s look at the floor for Michigan Football in 2023.

Floor: 9-3

VS. East Carolina: W

VS. UNLV: W

VS. Bowling Green: W

VS. Rutgers: W

@ Nebraska: L

@ Minnesota: W

VS. Indiana: W

@ Michigan State: W

VS. Purdue: W

@ Penn State: L

@ Maryland: W

VS. Ohio State: L

This is the absolute worst-case scenario that I think is possible for Michigan football this upcoming season. A scenario like this would include many horrific factors, such as a major injury to JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, and Donovan Edwards injuries, or a handful of major defensive injuries.

As for the games that I see as the most “losable”, Penn State and Ohio State are obvious. Those are the two best teams Michigan will play in the regular season, and both are arguably top 5 teams in the country.

Nebraska, however, is a different story. The Cornhuskers are coming off of a 4-8 season and shouldn’t have much to be excited about. But they do. The Cornhuskers hired former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, and suddenly there’s some excitement around the program.

While the Huskers don’t look to pose much of a threat to the powers of the Big Ten, I’m sure we all remember how tough it was for Michigan football to play at Nebraska two seasons ago. It took a Jake Moody legendary performance combined with a heroic forced fumble by Brad Hawkins to come away with a victory against a bad Nebraska team.

It’s never easy to win in Nebraska, and that’s why I think the Cornhuskers are a losable game should things go south for Michigan.

Michigan football ceiling for the 2023 season

Ceiling: 15-0

VS. East Carolina: W

VS. UNLV: W

VS. Bowling Green: W

VS. Rutgers: W

@ Nebraska: W

@ Minnesota: W

VS. Indiana: W

@ Michigan State: W

VS. Purdue: W

@ Penn State: W

@ Maryland: W

VS. Ohio State: W

B10 Championship: W

CFP Semi-Final: W

CFP Final: W

It probably wasn’t necessary to include the game-by-game predictions since the ceiling is winning them all, but man that is nice to look at.

The National Championship is there for the taking. It is the perfect year for Michigan to win it all. Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, and Alabama, along with others are all breaking in new quarterbacks. It is very possible that all of these teams take a step back this season. It’s very hard to expect a first-year starter to lead a team to a National Championship.

Michigan football has depth, star power, and the coaching it needs to beat every team in its path. The players are tired of losing in the semifinals and are out for blood this season. It’s very possible that we could see the Wolverines hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season.

A scenario like this would require a handful of things going right for the Wolverines. First, JJ McCarthy would have to take a leap forward, as many are expecting him to. The staff will need to unleash him, and JJ will have to step up. Next, the team must avoid major injuries. Injuries can derail a team’s entire season, so the Wolverines need to avoid that.

They’ll need one of their EDGE players to become a star, or even better, a superstar. Some candidates for this include Josaiah Stewart, Braiden McGregor, and Derrick Moore. Pass rush is arguably the most important thing on defense, so they’ll need someone to step up in a big way.

Lastly, they’ll need a solid second cornerback. Will Johnson is arguably the best cornerback in the nation, but the position opposite him is still undetermined. Amorion Walker was given lots of praise by the coaching staff and is an athletic freak, but his spring game performance left a lot to be desired. This needs to be a position of strength for the Wolverines to win it all.

If these things all happen, the Wolverines can bring back the school’s first National Championship since 1997. Go Blue!