Welcome to our weekly trip around the Internet to catch up with the Michigan football team's upcoming opponents.

We're heavy on Bowling Green information leading up to Saturday's noon game at Michigan Stadium.

Statistically speaking, the defenses in this game have been downright offensive. Michigan is ranked 100th out of 120 FBS teams in total defense. Bowling Green is 111th.

What's the key matchup? There are two: Michigan's 102nd-ranked pass defense against a Bowling Green offense ranked 29th in passing offense at 258.3 yards per game and Michigan's sixth-ranked rushing offense (286.3 yards) vs. Bowling Green's 98th-ranked rush defense.

Bowling Green • The biggest news out of the Falcoln (1-2) camp is official word that starting quarterback Matt Schilz won't play Saturday after suffering a right shoulder injury in last week's win over Marshall. The Toledo Blade reports that Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson has not named a starter. It's between sophomore Aaron Pakratz, who played in the fourth quarter against Marshall, and true freshman Trent Hurley.

• The USA Today says Clawson would be more likely to go with Hurley if Schilz's injury will keep him out multiple weeks. If it's a one-week sideline, the Falcolns would rather save Hurley's redshirt season.

• What's the key to Bowling Green upsetting Michigan? John Wagner of the Toledo Blade boils it down to one word: Believe.

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer says the Falcons' win over Marshall on Saturday "showed the pedigree of their program." Elton Alexander writes: "... it has been an almost seamless transition from quarterback Josh Harris in 2003 to Omar Jacobs to Tyler Sheehan and now freshman Matt Schilz. Through it all, BG has remained competitive. So it should have been no surprise that after Schilz suffered a shoulder injury in their home opener against Marshall, sophomore backup Aaron Pankratz stepped in and the Falcons went on to win, 44-28."

• The Blade has a feature story on former Michigan kicker Bryan Wright, now in graduate school -- and on the football team -- at Bowling Green. AnnArbor.com's Mike Rothstein also caught up with Wright for a story that appeared on our site Tuesday.

• According to the Bowling Green athletic department website, the Falcons are 11-9 against BCS conference opponents since 2001, including a 4-5 record against Big Ten teams. That includes a 27-26 win at No. 16-ranked Purdue in 2003 and a 27-17 win at No. 25 Pittsburgh in 2008.

• Bowling Green junior wide receiver Kamar Jorden leads the nation with 34 receptions for 343 yards.

• Michigan won the only previous meeting between the teams, 42-7, in 2000. It was the Wolverines' 100th season-opening win.

Indiana • If any wide receiver in the Big Ten can draw a pass interference penalty from officials, it should be Terrance Turner. The Indiana senior has the acting experience, and plans to head to Tinsel Town looking for his big break after graduation.

• Hoosier quarterback Ben Chappell was named the Big Ten's offensive player of the week after completing 32 of 42 passes for a career-high 366 yards and three touchdowns in a win at Western Kentucky.

• Indiana has sold over 20,000 season tickets for the first time in 13 years, the school announced Thursday.

Michigan State It's been quite a week in East Lansing. As the Lansing State Journal writes, the Spartans are "making news at an exhausting pace." It started with the 'Little Giants' play in a thrilling overtime win over Notre Dame and continued with Mark Dantonio's heart attack (he's now resting at home) and tight end Dion Sims allegedly being part of a crime ring.

• Amid all of that, interim coach Don Treadwell says focus is the key to continuity this week against Northern Colorado. (And getting starting linebacker Eric Gordon back won't hurt, either.)

• Inspired by his brother -- Nick McDonald, a Division II All-American from Grand Valley State -- making an NFL roster, Greg Johnson of the Grand Rapids Press says Spartan lineman Chris McDonald has solidified his place on a Spartan offensive line that's paving the way for the 16th-best rushing offense in the nation.

Iowa • A once-proud Hawkeye defense is seeking redemption back after a 34-27 loss at Arizona./a>.

• True freshman running back Marcus Coker is expected to back up starter Adam Robinson this week against Ball State. Coach Kirk Ferentz hoped to redshirt Coker, but injuries to Jewel Hampton and Paki O’Meara forced the decision. Pat Harty of the Iowa City Press-Citizen says Coker is as impressive off the field as he is on it.

• Iowa officials have made some changes to the game day experience at Kinnick Stadium, and plenty of fans are upset about them. The Iowa City Press-Citizen acquired fans' emails to the athletic department in a records request.

Penn State • The big story lines for Penn State are running backs (what's up with Evan Royster?) and former players (Temple coach Al Golden is a former Nittany Lion captain). Bob Flounders of the The Patriot-News covers both topics in this notebook.

• Indications point to redshirt freshman wideout Shawney Kersey not being part of the Nittany Lions program.

• If Temple can pull off an upset of Penn State on Saturday, could the unbeaten Owls find themselves in (gulp!) national title discussions?

Illinois • Mark Tupper of the Herald-Review understands why Illni fans are a frustrated group. "When I flip over a rock or log looking for a grain of hope, they see mostly worms and decay," he writes in a column headlined 'Illinois repeating familiar mediocrity.'

• It's not all doom-and-gloom for the Illini, who have a bye week before facing Ohio State on Oct. 2. The Chicago Tribune reports that the team's offensive line is coming together nicely.

Purdue • After giving away a Big Ten-high 15 fumbles last year, the Boilermakers are one of 10 teams across the country not to lose a fumble through three games.

• Making that stat more impressive is the fact that Injuries took such a toll on Purdue that wide receivers were moved into the backfield during a win over Ball State.

Wisconsin • With the Big Ten Conference season a week away, Wisconsin running back John Clay has started exhibiting signs that he's ready to carry the load for the Badgers.

• One of the Badgers' leader on defense, however, isn't exhibiting such signs. It became official this week that sophomore linebacker Chris Borland will miss the rest of the season due to a recurring injury to his left shoulder.

Ohio State • The Cleveland Plain Dealer examines the Buckeyes' play calling and says this year's team is handing the ball to tailbacks less than in any of Jim Tressel's previous nine seasons.

• Eastern Michigan heads to OSU this weekend, so the Columbus Dispatch caught up with Eagles safety Ryan Downard, a Lima, Ohio native. Downard tells the Dispatch that EMU is "close. We just haven't gotten over that hump."