Michigan football schedule: Is winning 10 games a realistic goal for Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines?

Cade McNamara, Michigan Wolverines. (USA Today)
Cade McNamara, Michigan Wolverines. (USA Today) /
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The Michigan football team hopes to rebound after a rough 2020 season but does the 2021 Michigan football schedule set the Wolverines up for success?

While you can blame the global pandemic all you want for the Michigan football team’s struggles from last season, that does not change the fact the Wolverines did not win a home game last year.

The good news for Michigan fans is the coaching staff has recruited well and they might have a good quarterback after entertaining questions all last season with Cade McNamara looking good in the spring after ending last season as the starter. Michigan may be able to make some noise in the Big Ten. However, they will lose some games along the way. So when is that first loss coming?

Michigan football: When will the Wolverines suffer their first loss of 2021?

The Michigan football schedule sets up favorably for the Wolverines to get off to a hot start. Western Michigan should be an easy win in the season-opener before welcoming Washington to the Big House in Week 2.

Michigan should get to 3-0 after beating the Broncos and a pair of Huskies in Washington and Northern Illinois. 4-0 is certainly doable with a homecoming win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Unfortunately, the Wolverines are not starting 5-0. They will be underdogs to the Big Ten West-contending Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall in Week 5. That projects to be the first loss on the Michigan football schedule.

Ultimately, Michigan has the regular-season schedule to go somewhere around 8-4 or 9-3. While that may not be up to Wolverines fans’ liking, that is a better result than going winless at home in back-to-back years and will begin to make up for last year’s two-win season.

Michigan is not ready to beat Wisconsin in Madison or Ohio State at home just yet, but they may have what it takes to steal a game at Penn State to get to 10-2.

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