Six non-conference matchups that we want to see for Michigan football

Michigan football has a handful of non-conference matchups coming up in the future after just completing another series with Notre Dame in 2018-19. The upcoming season (should it be played) will see the Wolverines go on the road to open the year at Washington with the Huskies set to make a return trip to Ann Arbor in 2021.

The Wolverines will play at Texas in 2024 and in Ann Arbor in 2027. Then, comes a series with Oklahoma (road in 2025, home in 2026) before renewing the series with Notre Dame in 2033 (home) and 2034 (away).

With these types of showdowns being scheduled several years in advance all the rage right now, let’s have some fun with teams that Michigan could potentially schedule.

The only criteria is that it cannot be a team that Michigan has played since 2010. From there, the possibilities are endless.

Naturally, there are going to be some SEC teams on here, which always comes with a grain of salt seeing as they are not huge fans of coming to play in the cold, frigid temperatures of September and October in the state of Michigan.

Here’s a few I think could be fun in no particular order and what fans voted when we originally ran this story last fall.

LSU (Fan vote: 42.1 percent)

Believe it or not, the Wolverines and Tigers have never met on the field. Why would this be interesting? Because we need Jim Harbaugh and Ed Orgeron content. You know it and I know it. Death Valley and Michigan Stadium are two of the sport’s iconic venues and this would be a blast.

Auburn (3.3 percent)

Michigan and Auburn have played twice and have a 1-1 record against each other. The first matchup came in the 1984 Sugar Bowl, where Pat Dye and his Tigers beat Bo Schembechler and the Wolverines 9-7. The most recent matchup was in 2001 in the Citrus Bowl, where the Wolverines won by a score of 31-28 led by Anthony Thomas, who ran for 182 yards and two scores.

Miami (Fla.) (5.1 percent)

Like the Auburn series, Michigan and Miami have only played twice. Both meetings came in the 1980s and were at the Big House with Michigan grabbing a 22-14 in 1984 and losing 31-30 in 1988 after blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter. The U isn’t quite what it used to be, but it would still be fun.

USC (11.4 percent)

The Wolverines and Trojans have met on the field ten times with USC holding a 6-4 advantage and winning the last three games in the series and six of the last seven overall. All but two of these games game in the Rose Bowl with every such matchup since 1970 coming in that game. USC was a boogeyman of the Schembechler and Carr eras, but there’s still some charm in seeing these two on the field.

Clemson (11.7 percent)

Michigan and Clemson have never met on the field and obviously a matchup with this iteration of the Tigers would be scary (and also a bit of a pipe dream when looking at the future schedules), but with as big as these brands are, maybe we will see them on the field in the late 2030s. Maybe sooner if the Wolverines can get in the playoff picture.

Georgia (7.5 percent)

If this one would happen at all, it’s probably after 2034. This is a matchup that hasn’t been played out on the field since 1965 and the teams are 1-1. Georgia has shown a willingness to come play in the Midwest having been at Notre Dame recently and a home-and-home scheduled with Ohio State in 2030 and 2031.

Honorable mentions

• Oregon (3.3 percent): Michigan is 3-2 in this series, but has lost the last two in the series with the most recent game coming the week after The Horror in 2007, where the Wolverines lost 38-7 at home. Revenge for this might be sweet.
• Oklahoma State (1.5 percent): Mike Gundy’s mullet, that’s why.
• Tennessee (7.9 percent): The Wolverines and Vols have only met once and it came in the Citrus Bowl in 2002, where they lost 45-17.

Who would you like to see Michigan play in a future series?