Know Your Penn State Football Enemy: Illinois Fighting Illini

The Penn State Nittany Lions open Big Ten play against the ever-struggling Illini.

For fans of Penn State, there is absolutely nothing to like about the September 21 game versus Illinois.

Well, expect that you’re playing Illinois.

It’s a night game, 9:00PM start time on the east coast (it’s totally OK to blackout by halftime of this one), it’s on the road, and it’s sandwiched in between Pitt and Ohio State. Oh, and it’s the Big Ten opener. These elements are the chemical formula for a trap game, but playing the worst team in the conference should offset those potential issues.

Lovie Smith is entering his third season as head coach of the Illini, and he has yet to achieve even a modicum of success. He is rebuilding the program from the ground up, but hasn’t made enough noise on the field or in recruiting as of yet. In all sports, but really in college football, whichever team has the best players will win. Illinois, simply put, doesn’t have the best players.

The biggest problem is that the Illini do not have a quarterback. Sophomore Cam Thomas played last year and gained some experience, but didn’t turn any heads. As I write this, Thomas is the frontrunner for the spot, but Smith my go with true freshman MJ Rivers if he is impressive in camp.

Illinois will utilize a running back-by-committee, probably led by sophomore Mike Epistein who led the team in rushing last season with 363 yards. Just to further explain, Epstein led the team in rushing, and missed the last seven games of the season. Can I stop writing? Are you getting the picture?

Ra’Vonn Bonner and Reggie Corbin will also get carries behind an offensive line that returns all starters from last season, but that might not be a good thing. Guard Nick Allegretti is Illinois best player an anchors what will be once again the worst O-Line in the Big Ten. His line mates will need to take massive strides to be effective this year.

Very early in the season and against one of the best defensive lines in the country, there is just no way the Illinois offensive line  will be able to win the battle in the trenches versus Penn State.

On defense, the Fighting Illini return all of their starters in the secondary, and Cameron Watkins at corner and Stanley Green at free safety make a formidable pair. Penn State should use the running attack to set up the pass, and enable McSorley to take shots when the opportunity arises.

Offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne will be able to call a very simple game and still crush the Illini defense. Penn State cannot put any of their tricks on tape for Ohio State the following week.

Stopping the run was a herculean task for Illinois last season as they allowed 218.5 yards per game on the ground. They won’t be much better this year. Miles Sanders may only play the first half, and could still have his best game of the season.

Lovie Smith had no problem playing his young guns and watching them flounder all of last season. In fact, Illinois gave 31 players their first career start a season ago.

Will that experience enable them to compete with the big dogs of the Big Ten? Absolutely not. Will it enable them to eek out a win or two in the conference, maybe.

Smith is dedicated to rebuilding the program his way, but his success on the recruiting trail is as troubling as his success on the field. He was able to bring in two four-star recruits in his last class, but that won’t cut it in this conference.

The Illinois coaching staff has rolled out a social media rallying cry: #Littyville. I don’t get it, unless going 0-9 in conference play is “lit”. The truth is, Illinois needs a jolt to get some excitement around the program, and this may be a piece of it.

For the next few years at least, Littyville will have to serve as a place you can go to hide from Saturday beatdowns.