No. 9 Penn State begins its quest for the Big Ten title and continues its pursuit of a spot in the College Football Playoff when it hosts No. 19 Illinois in Happy Valley on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions have passed every test with flying colors so far. They now face a tough test in the conference opener.
For Illinois, this is the second straight week that coach Bret Bielema’s team has fallen behind against a top-ranked opponent in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011 and already have two wins against AP Top 25 opponents. Something like this hasn’t happened since the 2007 team defeated three top-ranked opponents on the way to the Rose Bowl. Last week, Illinisis defeated Nebraska in a Friday night thriller overtime game. Now, Illinois is looking to continue its role as a traveling warrior in one of college football’s toughest environments: Happy Valley at night.
The game will be the first time the teams have met at Beaver Stadium since 2021, when Illinois defeated Penn State 20-18 in nine overtimes. The two teams met last year in Champaign, Illinois, with the Nittany Lions winning 30-13.
Penn State vs. Illinois: What you need to know
Penn State’s offense is one of the best in the nation. James Franklin made a big change in the offseason, bringing in Andy Kotelnicki as offensive coordinator. The position has been a revolving door in recent years, but the early return shows that Franklin is a great fit on Penn State’s staff. The Nittany Lions are in an elite group as one of only two FBS teams to average more than 250 yards passing and rushing, the other being the University of Tennessee. Penn State ranks seventh in the nation with 537.7 yards per game.
Illinois is battle-tested: The Fighting Illini have played their No. 3 opponent for the fourth consecutive week and are scheduled to play five of seven games in a row, a program record during the regular season. You will have to line up. Heading into Week 5, only Illinois and Tennessee can claim multiple wins over AP Top 25 opponents. These notable wins have helped Illinois in its own AP investigation. This is the earliest season Irinios has ranked since 2008. The fact that many of these accolades date back to 2007 and 2008 suggests that Bret Bielema is building something special in Champaign.
Beaver Stadium under the lights: Although it wasn’t officially a “whiteout” game, James Franklin called for “whiteout energy” from Penn State fans. Playing at night at Beaver Stadium is one of the most unique environments in college football, and home field advantage is a record. Penn State is 62-32 overall in night games and 21-11 in night games at home.
How to watch Penn State vs. Illinois live
Date: Saturday, September 28 | Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Beaver Stadium — University Park, Pennsylvania
TV: NBC |Live stream: fubo (free trial)
Get $30 off your first month of Fubo! For a limited time, get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream live TV and sports from ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
Penn State vs. Illinois predictions, picks
The Fighting Illini are consistently undervalued by oddsmakers, boasting a 3-0-1 record against the spread and covering the spread by an average of 10.9 points per game. This is another place where Illinois’ chances of success are downplayed by hanging around in the air, and Penn State is the obvious favorite to win, but Illinois is closer to winning than the experts think. There are plenty of opportunities. Pick: Illinois +17.5
Which college football contenders are you confident in picking for Week 5? Visit SportsLine to see which team wins and covers the spread. All from a proven computer model that has generated well over $2,000 in profits since its inception.