State of Michigan: Non-Conference Schedules breakdowns and predictions

Five division one football teams from the state of Michigan have some interesting non-conference games this season.

Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan have some non-conference games that fans in the state of Michigan are looking forward to seeing them play this Fall.

This may be one of the most anticipated upcoming seasons for the State of Michigan teams who play Division-1 football as 2023 saw some on-field success for the State of Michigan teams for most of the five teams who call the State of Michigan their home.

It is somewhat likely that the five teams from the state of Michigan can all make a bowl game this upcoming season. It would not be shocking that all five teams in non-conference games are victorious against a quality opponent in 2023. You can make a case that Michigan wins the Big Ten title this season, Michigan State makes a bowl game, and either Western, Eastern, or Central Michigan captures the MAC West Division title in 2023. Nothing is guaranteed or even highly likely to occur but all five teams can exceed expectations in 2023.

Before we look at the first three teams that all participate in the Mid-American Conference, let’s take a look at some of the reasons with the Eagles, Broncos, and Chippewas play the opponents they face on the field in non-conference play.

There are a few factors that MAC teams like EMU, CMU, and WMU consider when scheduling their non-conference games. These include:

Strength of schedule: MAC teams want to schedule at least one or two Power 5 opponents each year to improve their strength of schedule and make it more likely that they will be selected for a bowl game.

Revenue generation: MAC teams also want to schedule games against opponents that will generate revenue, such as teams with large fan bases or teams that are located in major media markets.

Geography: MAC teams try to schedule games against opponents that are located within a reasonable distance to travel, in order to save money on travel expenses.

Tradition: MAC teams may also schedule games against in-state power five schools, such as this season’s matchup between Central Michigan and Michigan State.

In recent years, MAC teams have been more aggressive in scheduling Power 5 opponents as the Broncos have scheduled three Power Five teams this season. This is due in part to the fact that the MAC has been granted automatic qualifying status for a bowl game, meaning that the conference champion will always receive a bowl bid. This has made it more important for MAC teams to schedule tough non-conference games in order to improve their chances of winning the conference championship.

Let’s first take a look at Western Michigan’s non-conference schedule games.

Western Michigan’s four non-conference games.

This is WMU’s only game against an FCS opponent this season.

Match Up: St. Francis (PA) at Western Michigan
Date: Thursday, Aug 31
Time: 1:30 pm ET
TV/Streaming: ESPN +

Prediction: Western Michigan 44 SFU 7

Last meeting between both schools: Syracuse defeated Western Michigan at home by a final score of 52-33 in 2019.

Prediction: Syracuse 37 Western Michigan Michigan 31

Last three games of this series between these two schools: Western Michigan has won two out of the last three games against Iowa.

Last meeting between both schools: Iowa defeated Western Michigan at home by a final score of 59-3 in 2013.

Prediction: Iowa 24 Western Michigan 13

Last meeting between both schools: This game will be the first-ever match-up between these two programs on the gridiron.

Prediction: Mississippi State 27 Western Michigan 23