Penn State at Illinois: Prediction Roundtable

Will Penn State start Big Ten play with a win at Illinois this week?

Penn State has wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule, and while things started a bit bumpier than expected, the Nittany Lions took care of business and won all four games. Up next is the first Big Ten game of the year, and with it comes a unique scheduling situation.

As part of a new scheduling practice enacted by the Big Ten Conference last week, Friday night games have been added to the schedule. Penn State will get its first opportunity this week to play on Friday night.

Kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini in Champaign is set to kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Head coach James Franklin and his coaching staff has been forced to switch up the weekly schedule to account for the earlier game. Fortunately, the Nittany Lions are very talented and should be up to the challenge the unique schedule presents.

The Penn State offense, after a slow start to the season, has woken up and has shown just how potent it can be. With senior quarterback Trace McSorley at the helm, and guys like Miles Sanders and KJ Hamler stepping into big roles, the Nittany Lions have the ability to put up points in bunches.

The defensive side of the ball has been a struggle, but the unit has been gradually improving each week. Several young guys have gained valuable playing experience and should be ready to contribute the rest of the season.

Illinois enters the matchup with a record of 2-1, having barely beat Kent State and falling to South Florida last week. Still, after winning just two games last year, the Illini have some talent and could be much improved this season.

Penn State is favored big for the second-straight week, but will things play out that way? Find out what the staff here at VBR thinks will happen under the bright lights Friday night.