For the first time this college football season, Penn State is hitting the road. The Nittany Lions, fresh off to a 2-0 start to the year, will look to add another win to the record when they visit Illinois in the Big Ten opener for both teams. While things have gone smoothly for Penn State in the early-going of the season, Illinois has looked shaky in their 1-1 start to the year, including last week’s tough road loss at Kansas.
Our staff at Nittany Lions Wire is once again feeling good about Penn State’s chances of returning to Happy Valley with a victory. Penn State is a sizable favorite in the game, which may be no real shocker. But will the Nittany Lions manage to come up with a cover on their way back home from the Big Ten opener?
Here is how we are feeling about this weekend’s matchup with the Illini.
Brad Wakai, Contributor
Penn State starts their conference season facing a tough road test against Illinois who will attack their run defense. Penn State should counter with aerial throws and explosive runs that get them to a comfortable victory. The Nittany Lions win 34-14.
Final score: Penn State 34, Illinois 14
Season record: 2-0
Season record ATS: 2-0
Kevin McGuire, Editor
My discomfort level with this game has diminished much more than I anticipated two weeks into the season. Did I overrate Illinois based solely off of last season? Yeah, probably. The Illini will tighten up a bit on defense this week, but there is a significant gap between these two programs. I’ve got Penn State winning, but Illinois does more than enough to provide some brief moments of uneasiness.
Final score: Penn State 31, Illinois 20
Season record: 2-0
Season record ATS: 0-2