The first 10 games of 2017 have been a fight for Michigan.

The Wolverines have scratched and clawed their way to 8-2 and into the College Football Playoff rankings, where they checked in at No. 24 on Tuesday.

But now comes the toughest stretch of the season. Michigan visits No. 5 Wisconsin on Saturday (noon, FOX), the first of back-to-back games against top-10 opponents.

"All those things matter," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told the "Jamie and Stoney Show" Wednesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "(It's an) opportunity to re-introduce ourself to the national football audience. And that opportunity, we cherish it."

Meanwhile, the deck seems to be stacked against the Wolverines. Michigan opened the week as double-digit underdogs. It has not beaten a top-25 team on the road since 2006. Its last win at Camp Randall Stadium was 2001.

And then there's the stat that had fifth-year center Patrick Kugler fired up earlier this week: Michigan is without a win this season over a team with a record over .500.

"Obviously, people are doubting us," Kugler said. "You can see that everywhere. But we're a very tight-knit group. We know what we're capable of and we're just excited for the test."

Saturday marks the eighth time this season Michigan has played on national networks ABC or FOX. The Wolverines have been a ratings juggernaut all season long; it's one of the reasons (10-0 Wisconsin might be a bigger factor here) ESPN is sending its popular "College GameDay" show to Madison.

At the end of the day though, everything is the same for Harbaugh. The film study. The practice. Game-week preparation. This week, the stage is just bigger.

"I know we're going to be playing an undefeated team this week at their home stadium," Harbaugh said. "The national audience will be very interested in it. There's our opportunity."

'VERY GOOD': Asked Tuesday on the Big Ten coaches teleconference about criticism leveled against Wisconsin (10-0, 7-0) for its strength of schedule, or lack thereof, Harbaugh called the Badgers a "very good" football team. "They're an undefeated team," Harbaugh said. "And we're preparing the best we can to be successful in the ball game. That's all I really know anything about."