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Michigan football schedule: ESPN computer predicts Wolverines games in 2022 season

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Last season was one to remember for Michigan, which beat Ohio State for the first time in eight years, won the Big Ten, and made its first College Football Playoff.

Now comes the hard part of consolidating those gains, repeating that success, and getting one step closer to winning the national championship.

What can we expect from the Wolverines in the 2022 football season?

Recently, the ESPN college football power index prediction machine went to work crunching the numbers on this team's chances in each game of the year to come.

Michigan football schedule: Predicting the Wolverines' games this season

Michigan made its first College Football Playoff in 2021

Michigan made its first College Football Playoff in 2021

Game 1 vs. Colorado State. Michigan opens up against a Rams team coming off a 3-9 mark last season and bringing on a new coach in Jay Norvell. But watch how the Rams attack the deep field with what should be an athletic group of receivers. FPI win chance: 97.6%

Game 2 vs. Hawaii. Coach Todd Graham is out after a probe into alleged abuse that got the state senate involved, as are a bevy of transfers, and new head coach Timmy Chang is in, with a lot of work to do repairing a roster that went 6-7 and placed fifth in its division a year ago. FPI win chance: 98.0%

Game 3 vs. UConn. One of the surest things in college football is a win over the Huskies, who haven't won five games in a season in a decade. UConn is a 21-76 program in that time, and, desperate for some kind of leadership, brought on head coach Jim Mora, Jr. this offseason. FPI win chance: 99.1%

Game 4 vs. Maryland. This was the fourth-best offense in the Big Ten a year ago, good for over 440 yards per game and scored a shade under 30 points each week. But the Terps need better blocking up front and this defense needs work at every phase, posting the second-worst scoring mark in the conference (32.4 ppg). FPI win chance: 82.6%

Game 5 at IowaGoing on the road to Iowa is always a tough out — just ask Penn State last year — but a Hawkeyes team that Michigan destroyed for the Big Ten title a year ago didn't exactly get better after losing some key pieces. It does return a fair chunk of a physical, well-coordinated defense, but lost center Tyler Linderbaum and still hasn't figured out how to consistently attack the deep field yet. FPI win chance: 70.0%

Game 6 at Indiana. IU was good for just 17 points per game last fall and will lose wide receiver Ty Fryfogle. But it gains Missouri transfer quarterback Conner Bazelak, a 2,500-yard passer, to help revive this offense. FPI win chance: 85.9%

Michigan came in at No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings, making its first appearance in the semifinal.

Game 7 vs. Penn State. A good challenge for Michigan's secondary going against super senior quarterback Sean Clifford, especially in tandem with WKU transfer receiver Mitchell Tinsley, who had over 1,400 yards and 14 TDs a year ago in a record-breaking offense. This was also the Big Ten's third-best scoring defense last season FPI win chance: 66.9%

Game 8 vs. Michigan StateThe only team that beat Michigan in the regular season a year ago now comes to the Big House for what figures to be another consequential rematch. Payton Thorne is still a problem moving the ball downfield, and he gets back Jayden Reed, who led this team in receiving. But running back Kenneth Walker is gone, and Sparty brings back what in 2021 was by far the worst pass defense in the Big Ten. FPI win chance: 69.5%

Game 9 at Rutgers. The third-worst scoring offense in the Big Ten was good for just about 19 points each time out last fall, while giving up almost 25 ppg to opponents. Even with its losses up front, Michigan should have the easy advantage at the line of scrimmage. FPI win chance: 88.6%

Game 10 vs. NebraskaOne of the most open questions not only in the Big Ten but in college football after losing every game (nine in total), all by single digits. The Huskers got aggressive this offseason, hiring Mark Whipple from Pitt to call offensive plays and brought on Casey Thompson, the QB who led the Big 12 in TD passes last fall. FPI win chance: 80.0%

Game 11 vs. Illinois. Chase Brown was a thousand-yard rusher in 2021 for the Illini, and Joshua McCray added 549 yards with two scores. Bret Bielema's defense improved from 2020, allowing 20 points or fewer in seven games. Now, he gets transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito and his big arm to test defenses downfield. FPI win chance: 93.1%

Game 12 at Ohio State. A lot of the dominant defensive pieces that beat the Buckeyes last year are gone, but Michigan still has plenty of skill options to test an Ohio State defense that is anything but a sure thing. FPI win chance: 15.2%


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