Penn State vs Illinois prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 23
Penn State vs Illinois How To Watch
Date: Saturday, October 23
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
How To Watch: ABC
Record: Penn State (5-1), Illinois (2-5)
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Penn State vs Illinois Game Preview
Why Illinois Will Win
Did Bret Bielema light a fire under his Illini or did he throw his team under the bus?
He ripped the team, the former coaching staff, and the program in general for not having enough talent on the 2021 team. He’s actually sort of right, but a college head coach isn’t supposed to say the quiet part out loud.
He’s got veterans across the board, the team had two weeks off to rest up, and now the running game that destroyed Charlotte needs to at least be functional early on. No, Illinois isn’t going to rip through the Nittany Lions, but Wisconsin, Auburn, and Iowa were at least able to get a few decent gains to keep everyone honest.
The real question for Illinois is whether or not Penn State starting quarterback Sean Clifford is able to go after getting hurt against Iowa. The Nittany Lions are working with the backups to get ready for this, but …
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Why Penn State Will Win
Yeah, the run defense.
Wisconsin was able to rip off a few nice runs, and Auburn had a couple of moments, but the Nittany Lions are allowing three yards per carry on the year, haven’t allowed more than 100 yards to anyone other than the Badgers, Tigers, and Hawkeyes, and they aren’t going to be gashed by the Illini.
The offense that couldn’t do anything right when Clifford went out against Iowa isn’t going to come out humming, but as long as the D is doing its job, Penn State’s attack will have plenty of chances and good field position.
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What’s Going To Happen
Don’t be stunned if Illinois all of a sudden plays out of its depth for a little while.
No, the talent isn’t there. Yes, Bielema has a rebuilding job to do. But the defense has’t been all that bad and it should be able to keep this from getting out of hand.
The offense, though, is going to to a whole lot of nothing against a rested Nittany Lion D. As long as the turnovers aren’t flowing like they did in Iowa City, there won’t be a problem.
Penn State vs Illinois Prediction, Line
Penn State 34, Illinois 13
Line: Penn State -24, o/u: 46.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2.5
Must See Rating: 2
5: Succession
1: Dancing with the Stars: Grease Night
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