How to watch Michigan vs. Western Michigan, Week 1 TV schedule, more

College football is back! After 280 days, the Michigan Wolverines will take the field and face Western Michigan to open their 2021 schedule on Saturday. But it’s not just Michigan. Fans have a full slate of Big Ten action this weekend! Let’s take a look at the games to watch in the conference this week, starting with your Wolverines.

Michigan Wolverines vs. Western Michigan Broncos

• Date & Time: Saturday, September 4th, 12:00 PM ET
• Channel: ESPN
• Location: Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Weather: 74 degrees and mostly cloudy
• Betting Line: Michigan -17, O/U: 67

This is the eighth time the two teams have met dating back to 1917. The Wolverines are 7-0 in those contests including their most recent win in 2018. It was a 49-3 victory for Michigan the last time these two squared up. The closest margin of victory in the most recent meetings was 17 points back in 2001 when the Wolverines won 38-21.

Michigan is coming off a 2-4 season under Jim Harbaugh in a COVID-shortened 2020 season. Meanwhile, the Broncos were 4-2 and like most programs in college football, faced only their MAC conference opponents.

Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara showed flashes in the 2020 season and now takes over the duty starting over five-star J.J. McCarthy. On the defensive side of the ball, Mike Macdonald will get the first challenge of his career as defensive coordinator with a Broncos team that boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the MAC conference, Kaleb Eleby. With a secondary that struggled in Ann Arbor a season ago, it certainly won’t be an easy task in Week 1.

No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions vs No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers

• Date & Time: Saturday, September 4, 12:00 PM ET
• Channel: FOX
• Location: Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin
• Weather: 71 degrees and mostly cloudy
• Betting Line: Wisconsin -5.5, O/U: 50

If you have more than one television in your home, I would have this game on alongside Michigan’s game in this time slot. This is the 20th time the two programs have met with Wisconsin looking to even up the series at 10. The Nittany Lions have won four straight meetings dating back to 2012. Three of those wins were won by a touchdown or less.

This has early ramifications for both sides of the conference. It will be an interesting watch for Michigan fans who will see both these teams later on in the season. It’s one of two matchups this week that have two Big Ten teams meeting that is both ranked in the Top-25 in the nation.

Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has earned some hype for flashes of 2020 and some think he could be a Top-3 quarterback in the conference by year’s end. The Nittany Lions won their last 4 games after opening up their 2020 campaign 0-5. Analysts are expecting them to ride that momentum into 2021 with largely the same roster.

No. 17 Indiana Hoosiers vs No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes

• Date & Time: Saturday, September 4, 3:30 PM ET
• Channel: Big Ten Network
• Location: Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa
• Weather: 71 degrees and mostly cloudy
• Betting Line: Iowa -3, O/U: 57

The other matchup between top 25 opponents in the Big Ten, Indiana vs Iowa is served up to be a great one. Michael Penix Jr. is back and 100% after a breakout season in 2020 that was shortened with a season-ending knee injury. The Hoosiers climbed all the way to No. 7 from nowhere a season ago and look to be one of the most interesting teams to watch in 2021.

Iowa has routinely been a Top-25 program under head coach Kirk Ferentz. However, they seem to always be a step behind Wisconsin in the Big Ten-West. Starting quarterback Spencer Petras returns to a team that looks like a typical Iowa team of the last decade. They’ll be tough to beat, especially at home.

Here is the full schedule for games this weekend: