Michigan Football: Ranking the Top 5 toughest games in 2024

The Michigan Wolverines have one of the most difficult schedules in 2024, but there are five games that should present a unique challenge.

The Michigan Wolverines enter Michigan Stadium / Christopher Breiler

We’re less than 50 days until the kickoff of the 2024 season, meaning fans are already looking ahead to what the year could have in store for the Wolverines. Unlike recent years, Michigan won’t have the luxury of coasting through an early non-conference schedule before the real season starts with Big Ten play. After the Week 1 matchup with Fresno State, Michigan will welcome the Texas Longhorns to Ann Arbor – the first ever regular season matchup between the two blue-blood programs.

Things won’t get much easier from there for the Wolverines, as matchups with USC, Washington, Michigan State, Oregon, and Ohio State are all part of Michigan’s regular season schedule this year.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) celebrates his touchdown with tight end offensive lineman Myles Hinton (78) during the first quarter in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

With that, here is a look at the top five most difficult games for the Michigan Wolverines in 2024:

5. Michigan State

I was tempted to put USC in this spot, but the aspect of this being such a heated rivalry game (along with USC routinely struggling defensively) gave Michigan State a slight edge at No. 5.

I get it, MSU has been trash as of late. The Spartans are a combined 9-15 over the last two seasons and have failed to qualify for a bowl game in each of those seasons. Last season, the Wolverines walked into East Lansing and slapped around the Spartans all evening, leaving with a 49-0 victory and the Paul Bunyan trophy in hand. Worse yet, Michigan State lost one of its best defenders from the 2023 season to the Wolverines, as defensive back Jaden Mangham announced he was transferring to Michigan during the off-season.

Although it hasn’t been great, things aren’t all that bad in East Lansing at the moment. Michigan State hired former Oregon State head coach Jonathon Smith, and the Spartans have secured 24 commitments from the transfer portal in this cycle – including former Oregon State QB Aidan Chiles. Does that mean the Spartans will be a formidable opponent for the Wolverines in 2024? Only time will tell.

4. at Washington

Similar to Michigan, Washington is breaking in a new head coach and a new-look roster in 2024. The Huskies brought in head coach Jedd Fisch as the successor to Kalen DeBoer, who’s now the head coach at Alabama. Washington also brought in 29 players from the transfer portal, including former four-star QB Will Rogers – a four year veteran who’s proven the ability to put up big numbers during his time at Mississippi State.

Even so, the Huskies lost a ton of key contributors to the NFL Draft this off-season, including first-round QB Michael Penix Jr., wide receiver Rome Odunze, and offensive lineman Troy Fautanu.

The biggest thing working in Washington’s favor right now is that the early October matchup with Michigan is being played at Husky Stadium in Seattle, a notoriously difficult place to win football games if your the visiting team. It also sounds like NBC is pushing hard for this to be a primetime matchup, making the road environment even more difficult. For that reason, this is certainly one of the most difficult games on Michigan’s schedule in 2024.

3. at Ohio State

There are plenty of people out there who believe this is the most difficult game on Michigan’s schedule in 2024, and they can make a solid case for that belief. For starters, the Wolverines have just two wins in Columbus over the last 25 years (2000, 2022). Additionally, Ohio State went out and spent nearly $15 million during the off-season in an effort to build a roster that’s capable of beating Michigan and ultimately winning a National Championship.

Adding a ton of talent is great, but the Buckeyes haven’t had a talent problem over the last three years – they’ve had a toughness problem. The harsh reality for the folks in Columbus, one that they still refuse to accept, is that the Michigan Wolverines are just the tougher football program as of late.

When the two rivals meet during that final weekend of the regular season in 2024, all of the pressure will be on Ryan Day and Ohio State to avoid a fourth consecutive loss. For the Wolverines, it will likely be another opportunity to cement their status as kings of the Big Ten Conference.

2. Oregon

If this game was being played in Eugene, I’d probably move it to No. 1 on the list. But because it’s in Ann Arbor, it sits firmly in that No. 2 spot. Oregon was another team that was aggressive in the transfer portal this off-season, reeling in 14 transfers that includes a pair of starting-caliber quarterbacks – Dante Moore and Dillon Gabriel.

The Ducks are also expected to have one of the best offensive lines in the country, meaning Dan Lanning’s Oregon offense should present one of the biggest challenges the Michigan defense will face all year. The Ducks are one of the early favorites to capture the Big Ten Championship during their first year as part of the conference, and the result of that early November matchup with Michigan will likely play a major factor in whether or not that happens.

1. Texas

There’s little doubt that Texas will have a talented team in 2024, but the real reason this comes in at No. 1 on the list is because of where it falls on Michigan’s schedule. The Week 2 matchup between the Wolverines and the Longhorns in the Big House is one of the most highly-anticipated nonconference games of the 2024 season, and for good reason.

The Longhorns return veteran QB Qwinn Ewers, what should be an elite offensive line, and added six guys from the transfer portal who are all starting caliber – including former five-star wideout Isaiah Bond out of Alabama.

On the other side, the Wolverines lost nearly 20 key contributors from the 2023 National Championship season – along with head coach Jim Harbaugh and a good chunk of the defensive staff. While the Michigan defense is expected to be elite, the offense returns just one starter from last season, meaning the Wolverines won’t have much time to find their rhythm offensively before the Week 2 matchup with Texas.

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