After the Big Ten pulled all of its schedules to consider adjustments, small and large, we finally have the dates and matchups for the 2023 Michigan Wolverines.

This will likely be how the schedule rolls out in the future once UCLA and USC join in 2024, with late October releases. What is still unknown is division formats, rotations, etc. The Big Ten elected to keep the divison format the same for this last season before expansion.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at my first reactions and what sticks out to me with this new schedule.

This obviously was going to stay the same, but Michigan once again opens with a softer schedule that the media will discuss at nauseum next season. Michigan is slated to play at Texas in 2024, but there are rumors those games will be at risk with Texas moving to the SEC and the Big Ten also expanding.

Michigan opens the Big Ten season at home vs Rutgers, the same as in 2021. They then hit the road for back-to-back away games against Nebraska and Minnesota, before coming home to play Indiana. Michigan's first four conference games come against teams with current conference records of 1-3, 2-2, 1-3, and 1-4.

The last game before the bye is the rivalry game against Michigan State. After the bye, things get interesting for the Wolverines who welcome Purdue to the Big House for the first time since 2009. Two Big Ten East road games have Michigan traveling to Penn State and then Maryland before finishing out the season with The Game against Ohio State.

It is always hard to project what these teams will be next season, lots of changes to come for sure, but my gut reaction is the second half will be a much tougher slate.

Michigan has a decent balance to its schedule. With all of their non-conference games being at home, the road games only come from the Big Ten In odd seasons they have 5 road games and 4 home games, unlike in 2022 where they are playing 8 games at home.

What sticks out to me is the way the road games are stacked. Michigan will play all 5 of its road games over a 7 game stretch, with two sets of back-to-back road games.

Starting on September 30 the Wolverines travel to Lincoln to play Nebraska and then at Minnesota the next week. In the middle is a home game against Indiana before hitting the road again to play the rival Spartans. Michigan then gets a bye before Purdue comes to Ann Arbor followed by the back-to-back road games against Penn State and Maryland.

That stretch of schedule could set up trap games or make otherwise make some of these games closer than would be expected. The reward at the end of this stretch is of course the matchup against Ohio State.

The rumors of proposals for the future of the Big Ten are wide-ranging, from simply adding USC/UCLA to the West division and moving Purdue to the East to eliminating divisions entirely and the debate around what games would be protected, and what rotations would look like.

One thing is for sure, with the amount of money networks spent to secure the Big Ten's media rights changes are coming, and fairness and balance likely won't be the number one deciding factor. Regardless of what the new era will look like, the 2023 schedule will be the end of this era. One that has seen the East division dominate, winning each Big Ten Championship game by an average of 20 points.

Michigan is in the midst of an undefeated season, working towards defending their Big Ten Championship, going back-to-back for the first time since 2003-04. In the last season of this version of the conference, will Michigan be pursuing a third Big Ten Championship? What matchups will never be the same again? We have the answer for the 2023 schedule, but so many questions on the future of the Big Ten, and what it means for Michigan.

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