No one in Ann Arbor needs a reminder.

"This is the beginning of it," Michigan football co-captain Devin Bush Jr. said Monday. "This is the part of the season where it defines (you).

"And what your team wants to do."

There wasn't much need to over-analyze the Wolverines' schedule this offseason. It boiled down to three parts. The year would start at Notre Dame, end at Ohio State and be advanced or shattered the minute foliage started hitting pavement.

That time is now. Wisconsin visits Saturday. A trip to Michigan State the following week. Penn State in three weeks. Everyone knows the stakes. If Michigan drops one of those games, Big Ten title hopes become complicated. Drop more than one and those title hopes vanish.

"Everybody's aware of what the schedule looks like," junior offensive lineman Ben Bredeson said. "Everybody's aware this is an important stretch for our season."

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This stretch looked daunting over the course of the offseason. These next three opponents were all losses on Michigan's schedule last year. All finished with better records, joining Ohio State as the Big Ten's top squads. It looks daunting now, too, but nowhere near impossible.

Michigan is entering it's season-defining stretch in a great spot, because of what it's about to face and because of what it's doing. Michigan has the chance for a memorable November run.

And the Wolverines might pull it off.

First, the opposition.

Wisconsin brought back a ton of production on offense, notably workhorse running back Jonathan Taylor, and a powerful offensive line. Alex Hornibrook is a third-year starter in Paul Chryst's system.

But the defense that ranked No. 2 nationally last season lost a lot, and hasn't found the pieces. The Badgers gave up more than 500 yards last week against Nebraska. Teams are averaging nearly 220 passing yards per game. The Badgers have five sacks.

Michigan State returned nearly everything from its 10-win team a year ago. But through five games, the Spartans have two losses, a hapless offense, injury problems and a secondary allowing more than 300 yards per game.

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Penn State is extremely talented offensively. But defensively, there are holes. Illinois and Appalachian State each had more than 400 yards against them. And Michigan doesn't have to travel to Happy Valley for a "White Out" this year. This game is in Ann Arbor.

All three of these teams are capable of beating Michigan.

But Michigan, in its current form, is capable of going 3-0 during this stretch, so long as the progress it has shown over the past five weeks isn't fool's gold. I don't think it is.

I wouldn't have written this in July or August, but I'm writing it now, partly because the Big Ten looks more manageable now, and partly because Michigan has made the type of subtle strides necessary to navigate its way through this.

Quarterback Shea Patterson has been the piece coach Jim Harbaugh hasn't had in any of his previous three seasons here. He's completing 69 percent of his throws, his pocket presence is outstanding, he's taking care of the football, and making plays when the play breaks down.

Patterson's fourth-quarter touchdown to fullback Jared Wangler last week gave him 10 in six games, one more than Michigan's entire quarterback room mustered a year ago. With him in the huddle, the offense is different.

And with Ed Warinner in charge of the offensive line, hope begins to flicker. Michigan's offensive front is unproven against top-end competition. The Notre Dame game was a mess. But steady improvement has followed. Michigan has rushed for 199.8 yards per game and allowed five sacks over the past five weeks.

A lot still has to happen here.

If Michigan starts the way it did against Notre Dame or Northwestern in any of these three games, it'll take a loss.

If Michigan's offensive line regresses to an early September level, it'll take a loss.

If Harbaugh's play-calling goes away from the steady stream of additional layers we've seen recently in favor of conservatism, Michigan will take a loss.

The Wolverines have some health concerns of their own, especially on the defensive line. This team hasn't proven its mettle on the big stage. All the questions that faced this group throughout the winter, spring and summer are still there.

No one knows how any of this is going to go.

But for Michigan, these are three winnable games.

And the journey to end this Big Ten title drought starts Saturday.

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Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.