ANN ARBOR — The Michigan football team finds itself in an unfamiliar position heading into Saturday’s game against Texas (12 p.m., FOX).

The 10th-ranked Wolverines, riding a 29-game regular-season winning streak, are underdogs for the first time since 2022 as the third-ranked Longhorns make their first trip to Ann Arbor. FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM all list Michigan as a 7-point underdog on Friday afternoon.

Both teams won their openers by double digits, but Texas did so in cleaner fashion, outscoring Colorado State 52-0 and outgaining them by over 300 yards. Michigan, meanwhile, was mired in a one-score game until a 75-yard touchdown drive that ended at the 5:43 mark of the fourth quarter.

Can the Wolverines shake off some rust and pull off an upset in the week’s only top-10 game, or will they suffer their first regular-season loss on Saturday since losing to Michigan State in October 2022? Here are the scoring predictions from MLive’s beat writers:

Aaron McMann

The Texas offense and quarterback Quinn Ewers play right into the strength of Michigan’s defense, giving the Wolverines a real chance to win this game on Saturday … if their offense can pull it off. Michigan quarterback Davis Warren and the offensive line still have some kinks to work out, and I wonder if either side can do that in a week’s time against an elite opponent. Home-field advantage helps, and I think Michigan’s defense can help keep them competitive, but the Longhorns’ talent on offense is proving to be too much. Prediction: Texas 27, Michigan 16

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Ryan Zuke

My initial reaction after Saturday’s results was to lean toward a lopsided Texas victory. The Wolverines may not have looked like world champions compared to the previous three years as they sauntered through non-conference play, but it’s important to remember that Fresno State is no slouch either. Are there reasons to be concerned about Michigan? Absolutely, especially on offense, but the Wolverines’ coaching staff has excelled in recent years at making necessary adjustments from week to week. Sure, they have a handful of new coaches now, but I still think there’s a winning culture inside Schembechler Hall. Coaches often say that a team grows the most from Week 1 to Week 2, and I think you’ll see improvement from Sherrone Moore’s team on Saturday.

But unlike last year, when he eliminated two top-10 programs as interim head coach to replace the suspended Jim Harbaugh, this year’s team doesn’t have a talent advantage. I’m going with the team with the more experienced quarterback and more explosive offensive weapons. Prediction: Texas 28, Michigan 20.

Andrew Kahn

I agree with what Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford said this week about the matchup — that whatever you want to say about Texas’ talent, you can say about Michigan. The idea that Michigan, coming off a season in which it won the national championship and surpassed 1,000 all-time wins, is a genuine underdog is almost laughable to me.

That said, how much will tradition or the past affect what happens on the field on Saturday? I understand why Texas is the favorite in this game. It will be close the entire game, but I prefer the team with the known star at quarterback. Davis Warren could be really good. We already know Ewers is. Prediction: Texas 27, Michigan 21