Michigan has been in several high-profile games recently. The important games, including three consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff, didn’t take place early in the season.
This week, Texas is coming to town, which is a big deal and exciting for college football fans.
The fourth-ranked Longhorns will be a big challenge on Saturday for the ninth-ranked Wolverines, who have had easier schedules the past two years to prepare for Big Ten Conference play.
Michigan will quickly see if the low expectations for a defending national champion were fair or if Sherrone Moore’s first team is underestimated.
“It’s exciting for our players, for the program, for the fans,” Moore said on Monday. “You want these types of games. You want these atmospheres. You want these building blocks to help you shape your team and get where you need to be.”
Texas discovered its strength in Week 2 last season when it defeated then-No. 3 Alabama and made the College Football Playoff.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned that 46 current players experienced that win over the Crimson Tide, learning what it takes to win on the road.
“You have to have great poise and composure when you are in these kinds of road environments,” Sarkisian said.
The winner in front of over 110,000 fans in the stadium and millions watching on TV will get a boost in their pursuit of a national championship, while the loser will still have a chance thanks to the expanded 12-team playoff.
“Because of the new format, I like this matchup even more,” Sarkisian said.
The winners will also gain some bragging rights for the Southeastern Conference or the Big Ten.
Texas had a strong start to the season, showing great performance on offense with quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, and dominating on defense with a 52-0 win over Colorado State.
Michigan, on the other hand, turned a close game into a 30-10 victory over Fresno State, despite their newly rebuilt offensive line struggling until late in the game.
A decade ago, both schools agreed to a home-and-home series for the first time.
The first game is this week, and the return game in Austin is set for Sept. 4, 2027. The Vince Young-led Longhorns defeated the Wolverines on Jan. 1, 2005, in their only previous meeting, which was at the Rose Bowl.
In college football history, Michigan leads with 1,005 all-time wins, and Texas is fourth with 949 victories.
Now, they are meeting in the regular season.
“I’m super pumped,” Sarkisian said. “I love college football. To think these two iconic programs, with those iconic uniforms and iconic helmets meeting for the first time in the Big House … yeah, that’s awesome.”
The Wolverines began their 2023 national championship season with easy games against East Carolina, UNLV, and Bowling Green, after starting the previous year with games against Colorado State, Hawaii, and Connecticut.
Oddsmakers think Michigan might not be up to the challenge, making them an underdog by a touchdown, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
But the Wolverines say they will be ready.
