No. 19 Illinois @ No. 9 Penn State. Kickoff at 6:30 pm CT on NBC.
Some things to watch:
- Luke Almyer will face the strongest pass rush that he's seen this season. He'll need to make good decisions under pressure, which hasn't always been a strong point for him. 3rd and long is not a good situation for Illinois tonight. Penn State is good at safety and CB AJ Harris is a future pro, but I think you can pick on CB Cam Miller on the boundary side. That's a good matchup for Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin.
- Two things worry me about the Penn State offense: Big plays by Nicholas Singleton in the run game, and the short passing game - especially on third down. TE Tyler Warren is a stud. Penn State will move the chains. The Illini defense could get frustrated and worn down. They will probably need a couple of takeaways. Illinois needs a big game from it's in-the-box defenders like Matthew Bailey, Dylan Rosiek, and Xavier Scott.
- RZ touchdowns could decide the game. If either team settles for field goals, Illinois has a big advantage in the kicking game, but I don't think you can outscore this Penn State team 3 points at a time.
- Illinois won't wear down the Penn State defensive front the way they did Nebraska. The Nittany Lions have athletes up front and depth. If the run game stalls early, will Illinois and OC Barry Lunney stick with it, or air it out? Will one of the four Illinois running backs have a breakout game?
- We will find out if the Penn State offense really is the juggernaut that they've shown early, or if the production is more of a product of their schedule. Drew Allar is probably overhyped. He's really accurate with a clean pocket, but sporadic when you get pressure on him. Gabe Jacas, Seth Coleman, and Dennis Briggs Jr. have been playing well and getting pressure.
