For the first time of the 2024 season, the Michigan football team will hit the road next weekend, when they will take on Washington Saturday, Oct. 5. On Monday afternoon, Michigan announced that its west-coast tilt with the Huskies will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST and will air on NBC.

The game will be a rematch of last year's National Championship Game, although both programs have endured a complete overhaul and don't look much like the 2023 versions of themselves. At Michigan, head coach Sherrone Moore has filled in for Jim Harbaugh, and at Washington, Jedd Fisch took over for Kalen DeBoer.

Of the four units featured in this game (Michigan offense/defense, Washington offense/defense), the Michigan defense returns by far the most talent from a season ago. The Wolverines' defense features potential first-round draft picks Will Johnson, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, who all made big impacts in the National Championship.

Michigan returns just one starter on the offensive side of the ball in Colston Loveland.

For Washington, it returns zero starters from the 2023 offense that featured Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze and Ja'Lynn Polk. On defense, the Huskies return just two starters in Alphonzo Tuputala and Elijah Jackson.

The Wolverines won last year's National Championship by three touchdowns, but ESPN's FPI matchup predictor gives Michigan just a 45.3 percent chance of coming out victorious in Seattle. Betting odds have yet to be released.

Michigan is 10-5 all-time against Washington, with the Wolverines having won the last three matchups. This will be the third time in the last four seasons the two teams have faced off and the first time as members of the same conference.

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