ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan has spent most of the last five weeks beating up on weaker teams and quietly climbing the rankings.
Now it's time for a real test on a big stage.
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Saturday's game against Wisconsin has everything a fan could want. Two top-15 teams. "College Gameday" in attendance. A night game at Michigan Stadium.
It's only a day away, and ClickOnDetroit has your pregame reading covered.
Michigan vs. Wisconsin
Michigan has chance to prove itself
Beating Western Michigan and SMU is nice. Starting 3-0 in the Big Ten is important. But all Michigan really did over the last five weeks was earn a CHANCE to prove itself against Wisconsin.
Fans have left the stadium disappointed after almost every big game the last several years, and Saturday is an opportunity to change that.
Is Michigan a Big Ten title contender? A true playoff candidate? It sure looked like it the last few weeks, but we won't know for sure until Saturday.
Win over Wisconsin would validate Michigan's improvement
Jim Harbaugh's team can beat up on lesser teams all year, but until it beats one of the best teams in the Big Ten, we won't know if it's just a mirage.
This week is a perfect opportunity for Michigan to validate the dominance it has shown since the opener.
How high could Michigan climb in rankings?
Yes, Michigan has to be focused on Wisconsin, but that doesn't mean we can't look ahead!
If the Wolverines win Saturday, they'll be 6-1 with an impressive win under their belt and more than a month of dominant football to lean on.
We took a glance at the other ranked games this weekend to see where Michigan could end up in the rankings with a win.
Michigan needs to show this year is different
Even though Michigan has taken care of the weak teams and struggled against bad teams for a decade, this season has felt different. The defense is still elite and the offense is coming along.
But that's felt like the case before.
Michigan has to beat Wisconsin and prove that 2018 is different than previous years under Harbaugh. Until then, the Wolverines haven't earned the benefit of the doubt.
If Michigan wins, it could set the stage for a special season.
Midseason breakdown
Grading Shea Patterson
The regular season is already halfway over!
Shea Patterson is looking for comfortable as Michigan's quarterback, and he hasn't even been on campus for a year.
The team is 5-1 and the passing attack looks as good as it's ever been under Harbaugh. How much of that is because of Patterson?
We broke down some of the most important quarterback traits and a graded Patterson's first half of Michigan football.
Ranking Michigan's top 10 defensive players
While we're talking about midseason performances, let's talk about the No. 1 total defense in the country.
Don Brown's group is rolling again, and he's got more depth to play with this year.
There have been a handful of surprises on the defensive side of the ball, but the elite contributors are familiar faces. We ranked Michigan's top 10 defensive players from the first half.
Who has been Michigan's offensive MVP?
Watching Michigan's passing attack last season was painful, but this year is a different story.
Patterson isn't the only player trending up on Michigan's offense. The receivers are making big plays, Karan Higdon is eyeing a 1,000-yard season and one surprise player is making a big for the top spot.
In the end, we narrowed down the race to four candidates from four different positions.
Michigan football news
How to watch Michigan vs. Wisconsin
The Wisconsin-Michigan game is the center of the college football world this weekend, as it will be featured on "College Gameday."
For information on the television broadcast, the betting line, a game preview and a score prediction, click on the link below.
Weather forecast for Wisconsin game
Only in Michigan can the temperature go from the mid-80s to the 40s in a day, right?
It's been hot, muggy, sunny, rainy, cold and overcast this week. But what matters is the forecast starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Michigan-Michigan State game will be noon kickoff
After the Wisconsin game ends, Michigan's attention will turn to its in-state rival.
Michigan and Michigan State will square off Oct. 20 in East Lansing. The schools announced this week that the game will kick off at noon.
It's a change of pace for the rivalry, which has been a primetime lock for years and earned a night game at Michigan Stadium in 2017.