The Victors

In 2027, Michigan is scheduled to play Buffalo on September 4 and Eastern Michigan on September 11. Labor Day is September 6.

If UM were to have a Week Zero game next year, that date would likely be on Saturday, August 28th. To have a Labor Day weekend game with Texas, you'd probably have to move that Buffalo game to that 8/28 date. Texas would also have to move its 9/4 game with New Mexico State.

Continuing with the Week Zero scenario, Michigan plays Central Michigan on 9/2/28 and Charlotte on 9/9/28. That would put the first game with a TBD OOC opponent on August 26, 2028.

UM plays Bowling Green on 8/25/29 and Western Michigan the following Saturday (9/1). I assume the third non-conference game would then be September 8, 2029.

We'll see what shakes out in due course. If there's no CFP expansion and the selection criteria remains unchanged, then yeah, I could see Michigan go Full Cignetti and have three G5 non conference opponents.

OTOH, the SEC requires its schools to play one "quality non conference opponent", assuredly from the Big Ten, Big XII and the ACC. That would point towards the 2027 UM-UT still being played, but on a different/earlier date.