Here’s a look at the best, worst, and most realistic scenarios for Michigan football in the 2023 season.
The Michigan football season is just two weeks away. It’s been a long wait, but the 2023 season will be here before we know it.
It’s certainly been one of the most anticipated seasons in Michigan football history. The Wolverines are fresh off back-to-back Big Ten titles and many believe that U-M has a team that can compete for a national championship.
Whether that’s realistic or not, we’ll get to that in a minute. It’s getting close to the time to lock in 2023 season predictions for Michigan football, but first, here’s a look at the best, worst, and most realistic scenarios for the Wolverines.
Best-case scenario: national championship
If everything goes right, Michigan football can win the national title. It’s going to take an elite season from J.J. McCarthy and a lot of our bold predictions coming true, but this team is loaded with depth and talent.
Jim Harbaugh is on a mission to win a national title or a Super Bowl and this team will be one of his best chances to do either.
McCarthy is the kind of quarterback Michigan has needed to win it all, but it also has two elite running backs, a great offensive line, and a defense that might be as good as any in college football.
The Wolverines also get Ohio State at home. Penn State will be tough and winning the Big Ten won’t be easy, but the non-conference schedule is fairly simple and it feels like it could finally be the year for the Wolverines after a 26-year drought.
Worst-case scenario: Losses to rivals
The floor for this Michigan team is really high. It feels like a New Year’s Six Bowl is definitely in the cards, even if things don’t go as planned.
However, failing to defend the Big Ten title would hurt, but not quite as much as if the Wolverines were knocked off by their rivals.
Michigan fans are pretty confident in their program right now, as they should be. But we’ve seen Michigan State upset Michigan plenty of teams in the past and the game is in East Lansing.
Outside of Penn State and Ohio State, that’s the No. 1 game I’m worried about. Lose both of those games and it’s hard to call the Michigan season a success.
Crazy things happen in rivalry games too and Ohio State shouldn’t be taken for granted. The Buckeyes were a missed kick from winning the national title last season and they will be hungry to snap that two-game losing streak.
Most realistic
The Wolverines might lose a game sometime along the way, but I think that Michigan will have the horses to beat Ohio State again.
It’s not going to be easy. Neither is beating Michigan State or winning the Big Ten for that matter. Penn State is a legitimate threat. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska should all be much better too.
As long as Michigan beats Ohio State, it will get where it needs to go. The Wolverines will likely make it back to the playoff once again. It’s also realistic to expect Michigan football to reach the national title game.
Michigan would have beaten TCU if it didn’t have a number of turnovers and self-inflicted wounds. With another year of seasoning, McCarthy will be one of the best quarterbacks in the country and Michigan will wind up playing Georgia for the national title.
Yet, beating the Bulldogs might not be realistic at this point. Michigan can do it if everything goes right, but Georgia is the best college football program right now for a reason and it’s hard to predict them losing until it actually happens.
It’s possible. Just not realistic.