Michigan, like most Big Ten teams, has some added heft on the schedule with the addition of the four West Coast schools to the league. But new head coach Sherrone Moore isn’t downplaying any of the 12 opponents the Wolverines are slated to play.
Speaking with reporters after a recent camp showcase in Detroit, Moore explained that to him and his team, every game is a big one. That said, they still make sure beating Ohio State — AKA “team we have to beat down south” — is made a point.
“We know we’ve got a great schedule, but we’re not going to look ahead and make one bigger,” Moore said. “They’re all of equal value. We know the standard of the team we have to beat down south and we always express that and work for that, but every team is — every game is a big game. So we’ll treat every season like that.”
In the previous iteration of the Big Ten, Michigan’s biggest annual games were consistently against Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State, all in the Big Ten East. A crossover matchup against Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa or rival Minnesota could add some more conference pop, but not a ton, and the Wolverines non-conference schedules in recent years have been paltry.
Now, though, the likes of Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA are potential opponents, along with the others, in a division-less format.
The Wolverines wont play the Nittany Lions in 2024, but have picked up games against Washington, Oregon and USC. And the non-conference slate for Michigan this year is massively better than previous years, headlined by a Week 2 visit from Texas to Ann Arbor.
So while Ohio State at the end of the year won’t be forgotten, Moore and his staff will make sure every game is treated with the importance it deserves.
Moore is confident in the 2024 squad to live up to high expectations
Moore discussed the differences between this year’s team heading into the summer and last year’s, revealing whether he has confidence in the 2024 roster.
“I feel the same way as I do now about the team that we had last year,” said Moore. “You go into summer; you go into training camp (and) you put your head down and work. Your goal is always to do that. Are you gonna win a national championship every year? You hope so.”
“Our goal is to just win every game. And we’re gonna try to do that every single way possible and go through the process of doing that. So we’re not gonna look forward, look at what games here, what’s in this game, win this game; we’re just going to take it day by day. You can only take one step in front of the other… we gotta take a step at a time.”
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