What’s going on with Michigan’s upcoming football opponents? Here’s a quick trip around the Internet catching up with news coming out of their fall practice sessions:

UConn

On the first day of practice, head coach Randy Edsall has assigned himself the responsibility of coaching the Huskies’ safeties - a position Neill Ostrout says in today’s Connecticut Post is considered the weakest postion on the team “because of their youth and their occasional lapses last season.” First-year defensive back coach Darrell Perkins will focus solely on cornerbacks.

The Post also presented this UConn football training camp primer on Monday and Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb says expectations are high for a UConn team that lost five games by a total of 15 points last season - three of them coming after the stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard.

UConn has been focused on the Michigan game for quite some time, Eaton-Robb reports. Huskies junior tailback Jordan Todman says, “Since we realized we were playing Michigan, this has been on our mind. When we were working out in the summer we put their helmet up in the weight room to remind us of what we are working for.”

Of course, the Wolverines’ winged helmet probably spices up the joint a little more than the Huskies’ rather mundane headgear.

Notre Dame Senior running back Armando Allen Jr. is 645 yards shy of 10th place on the Irish’s all-time rushing list, and he’s confident he’ll still see plenty of opportunities to gain yards in first-year coach Brian Kelly’s spread offense. Says Kelly, in the Chicago Sun-Times: “You can’t win unless you run the ball. If you just throw it, you’re not going to win all your games. We’re here to win all our games. I don’t know if anybody knew that. We’re here to win them all.”

But who’ll block for Allen? Tony Krausz of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette breaks down some of the position battles going on in fall practice on the Fighting Irish’s elatively inexperienced offensive line.

UMass With two of last year’s UMass receivers in NFL training camps, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that junior Julian Talley is suddenly thrust into a leadership role.

Bowling Green The Falcons must replace three-year starting quarterback Tyler Sheehan and standout receiver Freddie Barnes, who caught an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record 155 passes in 2009. The Fremont News-Messenger says freshman quarterback Matt Schilz - who’s wearing Barnes’ No. 7 jersey - is the leader of a four-man race to lead the revamped offense.

Indiana Quick quiz. Who is top returning passer in the Big Ten? If you guessed Indiana senior Ben Chappell, you’re right. The Indianapolis Star says Chappell - along with his four dependable wide receiver targets - has a chance to have a special season.

And, by the way, the Indianapolis Star also reports an estimated $10 million economic boost to the city when it hosts the 2012 Big Ten football title game.

Michigan State The Spartans are touting a bigger and stronger roster this season, writes Greg Johnson of the Grand Rapids Press. MSU coach Mark Dantonio says 86 of his players are bench pressing more than 300 pounds and 57 others are maxing out somewhere between 350 and 470 pounds.

The Lansing State Journal says freshman linebacker William Gholston - who impressed teammates throughout non-contact summer drills - and other newcomers look ready to contribute in 2010.

Iowa Three sophomores who each set a freshman school record are in a logjam for playing time at tailback, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Coach Kirk Ferentz says if Adam Robinson, Jewel Hampton and Brandon Wegher stay healthy, the Hawkeyes are probably looking at a job share situation at the position.

Penn State There are questions to be answered about the Nittany Lions. Like who’s going to play quarterback and whether they can improve on special teams. But the media focus right now is on backup sophomore receiver Curtis Drake breaking his leg in practice on Monday and coach Joe Parterno being nominated for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive.

Illinois The Illini are bunked down at a former Air Force base in Rantoul, Ill., for a two-week camp. And it’s all football, all the time. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that redshirt freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase even left his video games back on campus.

Purdue When last year’s leading rusher, Ralph Bolden, had ACL surgery in May, sophomore Al-Tarek McBurse became the Boilermaker’s No. 1 running back. Maybe not good news, considering McBurse saw limited time last year and earned a reputation of not being physical enough to gain tough yards. But the West Lafayette Journal and Courier says that McBurse, and his teammates, believe he’ll change that reputation.

Wisconsin A season-long battle with injuries on the offensive line gave the Badgers fits in 2009. But suddenly everybody is healthy and the additional experience gained by backups makes the line a strength of the team. “To have seven starters at a position you start five is an unreal thing to be able to witness,” coach Bret Bielema told the Madison.com.

Ohio State Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch says Buckeye quarterback Terrelle Pryor has grown up. Pryor admits himself that he came to Ohio State arrogant, but his teammates put him in his place. Writes Hunter: “Pryor the junior obviously couldn't believe how unaware Pryor the freshman had been. Cool.”

In on-the-field news, third-year sophomore Orhian Johnson is the leading candidate to replace three-year starter and 2009 captain Kurt Coleman at safety for the Buckeyes.

As long as we’re working our way around the Big Ten, let’s continue with …

Minnesota Unusually warm temperatures in Minneapolis have left the Gophers sweating out their first four days of fall practice. And, as coach Tim Brewster says, “The heat won. And I’m not real happy about it.” Quarterback Adam Weber told the Star Tribune the same thing. “It’s too bad. This team is filled with a bunch of veterans. You might expect that from another team, to slack a little bit in the heat. But we’ve got to expect more from ourselves."

Northwestern After hinting during Big Ten media days that sophomore running back Arby Fields would be the key cog in the Wildcats’ ground game, he backed off that statement Monday, saying he would name his starters the Monday before the season-opener Sept. 4 at Vanderbilt.