Michigan football: Ranking the top 3 night games at the Big House

Michigan football will start the 2024 season playing under the lights at The Big House vs Fresno State. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 but the Wolverines did not begin playing night games there until 2011. Since then, there have been a total of 15 games played at night in Ann Arbor and Michigan football has a record of 13 wins and 2 losses in those games. I ranked the top 3 of those games... let's dive in.

3. October 26th, 2019: Michigan: 45 Notre Dame: 14.

Michigan football welcomed the Fighting Irish to town in late October of 2019 on a rain filled night in Ann Arbor. Rain filled might be putting it lightly as it was an absolute monsoon throughout the entire game from start to finish.

The Michigan defense swarmed Notre Dame's offense all night and never let them get into any rhythm whatsoever. Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet ran rampant all-night totaling 223 yards and two touchdowns. The game was a classic Harbaugh masterpiece as it was complete physical domination from start to finish. Michigan football imposed its will on Notre Dame.

2. September11th, 2021: Michigan: 31 Washington: 10

Michigan vs Washington in 2021 is the moment that I think a lot of Michigan football fans remember as the most important game to the start of the recent stretch of dominance from the Wolverines. A maize-out crowd was raucous from kickoff until the last second ticked off the clock. Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum combined for 326 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Another physically dominant performance by the Wolverines that let everyone around the country know this team was for real.

1. September 10th, 2011: Michigan 35 Notre Dame: 31

The first ever night game at the Big House still lives on as the best night game ever played in Ann Arbor. Michigan football trailed 24-7 heading into the fourth quarter and outscored the Irish 28-7 in the fourth quarter to win 35-31.

Brent Musburger and Kirk Herbstreit were on the call for an electric crowd and rowdy atmosphere. Three touchdowns were scored in the final one minute and fifteen seconds of the game. Michigan needed one last score to go ahead and it started with a 63-yard completion from Denard Robinson to Jeremy Gallon to put Michigan in position for the final throw.

Denard dropped back and hit Roy Roundtree with two seconds left on the clock for the go ahead touchdown pass. The Big House erupted and Michigan sent the Irish back to South Bend with a loss. A truly legendary game in The Big House that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest games ever played in Ann Arbor.