The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) open Big Ten play by hosting the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini (4-0), who are off to a surprising undefeated start this season. The Illini and No. 5 Tennessee are the only teams with two wins over ranked teams entering Week 5. Illinois upset Kansas in Week 2 and then upset Nebraska in an overtime affair on the road last weekend. The last time Illinois came to Penn State, these teams played to 9 overtimes, with the Illini pulling off an upset over a top ten Penn State team. Read on for the top storylines and how to watch this top-20 matchup on Saturday.

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Illinois

The Fighting Illini are off to their third 4-0 start since 1950, and it’s an unexpected start considering the team has had to go through two ranked teams to get there. Last week’s overtime win at Nebraska was especially impressive to open Big Ten play. Head coach Bret Bielema is in his 4^e season in Champaign, where he has had an up-and-down tenure. Whether this proves to be an “up” year on Bielema’s record will likely depend on the team’s current stretch of games, as five of the seven games between Weeks 2 and 9 are against ranked opponents.

Illinois’ success is largely due to strong – though sometimes inconsistent – ​​defensive play and efficient play Lucas Altmyer at quarterback, the only player in FBS with at least 10 pass TD and no interceptions. It’s a huge turnaround for Altmyer, who threw 10 interceptions last season. However, Penn State will be the toughest defense he has faced yet, throwing four interceptions to the Nittany Lions last year.

Illinois’ defense, especially in the secondary, will look to challenge Penn State’s passing game on Saturday. Entering Week 5, the Illini have a season-high seven interceptions, tied for the most in the Big Ten. CB Xavier Scott and safety Miles Scott (no relation) are the stars of the secondary; after the Scott duo combined to force four turnovers in the team’s win over Kansas on September 7, head coach Bret Bielema called them “the new ‘Scott & Scott Law Firm.’”

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Penn State

The No. 9 Nittany Lions begin conference play this weekend. Penn State is seen as one of the major beneficiaries of the conference realignment and the new 12-team Playoff, as the team now has a path to the Big Ten title game without being swept by both Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten East have to go. Even when those divisions existed, Penn State recently finished in the top 12 repeatedly but was never selected for the Playoff, unable to crack the top four. Now the path seems clear to them.

The team has shown major improvements and changes on offense under the new coordinator Andy Kotelnickiwho has brought a creative style that has helped get more big plays out of the QB-led unit Drew Allar. Allar’s most telling stat might be that he is second in FBS in yards/attempt this season, which is a far cry from an offense that rarely took the field in 2023. The passing game benefits from a strong backfield duo in RBs Kaytron Allen And Nicholas Singleton.

How to watch the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions

• When: Saturday September 28
• Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
• Time: 7:30 PM ET (Pregame coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET)
• Watch: NBC, Peacock

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