Luke Winn, Sports Illustrated, recently ranked the NCAA teams by the difficulty of their non-league schedules. Michigan came in with the 8th hardest non-conference schedule. Also placing from the Big Ten was Michigan State (2nd), Ohio State (4th) & Illinois (10th). On the Wolverines schedule, Winn said:
“This isn’t the greatest year to take a road trip to Kansas, but the Wolverines are doing so on Dec. 19, just 10 days after playing a true road game at Utah. They’re also punishing themselves by hosting UConn in a nationally televised game on Jan. 17, just three days before a Big Ten road swing through Madison and West Lafayette. … and by playing in the Old Spice Classic (along with Marquette, Xavier, Florida State and Baylor), the finals of which are just three days before a Dec. 2 home date with Boston College.”