Staff Predictions: No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 19 Illinois

It’s ***** Out week, folks.

Penn State football has been on a roll after blowing out Kent State 56-0 with a school-record 718 yards of offense. No. 19 Illinois is red-hot coming into a Saturday night matchup against Penn State football after defeating No. 22 Nebraska in overtime last Friday night.

We’re sure you’ve heard a million times by now about James Franklin calling for “White Out energy,” but our staffers think it will make an impact in the Nittany Lions’ favor.

Fernando Martinez Ruiz De Esparza (3-0): Penn State 31, Illinois 20

Folks, let’s show Illinois head coach Bret Bielema what White Out energy exactly means.

This will be Penn State’s first real test this season as a confident and ranked Illinois squad comes to town. The Nittany Lions are coming off a blowout win against Kent State, and it was a good thing they rested the starters the moment the game got out of hand. However, it is essential Penn State gets off to a fast start against Illinois, something that it didn’t do against Kent State. If it doesn’t, this game could get interesting.

As for Illinois, this team is very talented. The Fighting Illini are coming off a huge road win against Nebraska where they were underdogs in a hostile environment. They are ranked No. 19 in the country and will be ready for a challenge against the Nittany Lions.

James Franklin called for “White Out energy” against the Fighting Illini in his post-game conference against Kent State. The crowd at Beaver Stadium will display White Out energy, and this will play a huge factor in determining the game. Illinois will struggle in the Beaver Stadium, and I expect the Nittany Lions to feed off this energy and get the job done on Saturday night.

Penn State goes 4-0 and this win will give it a lot of confidence in their journey to making the College Football Playoff.

Dillon Williams (1-0): Penn State 35, Illinois 24

Illinois will be Penn State’s biggest challenge of the year so far. The Fighting Illini are coming off a big overtime win on the road against a ranked Nebraska where their offense looked efficient despite two fumbles.

I also can’t go without mentioning that the last time Illinois came to Happy Valley (also during Homecoming, ironically enough), the Nittany Lions lost 20-18 in a record nine overtimes . With all that being said, Penn State’s high-octane offense will show up for it in this top-20 matchup.

The balance of Penn State’s hard-hitting run game mixed with its explosive passing offense will be the difference as Penn State pulls out a close game and starts conference play with a huge win.

James Russell (0-0): Penn State 34, Illinois 28

The Fighting Illini are going to be quite the test for the Nittany Lions, so buckle up.

This No. 19-ranked Illinois team is Penn State’s most formidable foe thus far. This year’s Illinois team looks much more complete than the 2023 team that the Nittany Lions defeated 30-13 at Memorial Stadium .

The last time these two teams played at Beaver Stadium was October 21, 2021, which had nine overtime periods and resulted in a Penn State loss. This game will be a great test for Penn State on both sides of the ball.

Penn State has yet to play a ranked opponent, and this Illinois team is nothing like West Virginia, Bowling Green, or Kent State. If there was a game where the Nittany Lions missed star safety K.J. Winston on defense, it’ll be this one. James Franklin calling for “White Out energy” says plenty about the significance of this matchup.

John DeMasi (0-0): Penn State 45, Illinois 21

Penn State will be rolling into this game due to the high-scoring performance from last week and Saturday being the unofficial ***** Out for this week. The game is potentially going to be on a rainy day, so it’s gonna be a ground-and-pound game with a high percentage of zone runs and quick passes.

I think it’s going to be more defense-oriented, and it’s going to be a tackling battle. Penn State is still going to come out with a win.

C.J. Gill (3-0): Penn State 31, Illinois 21

Who would have thought in the offseason that Illinois would be the third-best team on the Nittany Lions’ schedule this season? Now, it’s the end of September and here we are with a top-20 matchup in Beaver Stadium upon us.

I expect this game to be a nail-biter for Penn State fans for most of the evening. The Fighting Illini are an extremely well-coached team that plays sound and tough Big Ten football. Tom Allen’s defense is a little banged up and Illinois could exploit those depth issues early in the game. Drew Allar and the offense could have another slow start as well.

However, by the second half, James Franklin’s team should begin to assert its strength and prevail through the talent disparity between the two programs. If Penn State wants to win big games in December this year, it will need to push Illinois to the side at some point in this game.

The Nittany Lions’ dynamic run game and improved passing attack should allow that to happen. Illinois is a good team, but Penn State is a great team, and we will see that Saturday. By the third or fourth quarter, Fighting Illini fans will know exactly what White Out energy is.

Olivia Hess (0-0): Penn State 31, Illinois 17

Well, Penn State has Tyler Warren and they don’t. Plus, do you really think the Nittany Lions are going to lose the first night game? At home?

There’s absolutely no way. It’s about time we play a team that deserves our full force and effort, and they’ll get just that. Illinois is solid and has a balanced attack, but can they handle White Out energy? No.

Aidan Conrad (3-0): Penn State 31, Illinois 6

This game is giving me eerily similar vibes to last year’s official White Out vs. Iowa. I believe this game won’t be as close as some may think. Nevertheless, Illinois’ win over Nebraska last week will help us out now that this game is a ranked matchup.

Oscar Orellana (0-0): Penn State 37, Illinois 17

Just like against Bowling Green and Kent State, Penn State’s offense will start off slow but easily take control of the game in the second quarter. With Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen reinvigorating the run game, it should be fairly simple to manage the game as long as the defensive line makes Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer uncomfortable in the pocket.

The crowd should play an essential role in that discomfort with its energy. Allar will throw for 250+ yards as Tyler Warren has another big game and Penn State will get a comfortable, convincing win as it enters its two-game series against a pair of new Big Ten schools.

Tessa Torres-Hoffman (0-0): Penn State 33, Illinois 15

Even though Illinois barely beat Nebraska last weekend with an overtime win, Penn State’s defense will disrupt the Illinois offense just like it did to Kent State.

First, Penn State will be bringing White Out energy that will shake Illinois to the core. Bret Bielema doesn’t even understand what that means, but he will after losing this game. Drew Allar will have a breakout game as his passing and running abilities have improved. Penn State is set to win this game.

Cooper Cazares (2-0): Penn State 35, Illinois 21

This game has all the ingredients to be an instant classic in Beaver Stadium.

Night game? Yep. Ranked opponent? Yep. White Out…energy? For sure. The first real test for the Nittany Lions will not disappoint on Saturday. Illinois’ win at Nebraska last week was a big deal in making a name for themselves this season. I don’t know what Penn State team will show up on Saturday but with the help of 110,000 people, it’s impossible to pick against the home team in this one. Give me the Nittany Lions.

Jamie Lynch (3-0): Penn State 35, Illinois 16

The time has come. Primetime at Beaver Stadium is in our sights once again, and there’s no doubt this crowd will be electric as always.

While Illinois has looked great thus far with quarterback Luke Altmyer playing at the top of his game, I don’t think the Fighting Illini will be able to hang with the Nittany Lions. Penn State will feed off every ounce of energy the crowd gives it, rattling the Illinois offense. Nick Singleton will continue to explode, and Bret Bielema will finally understand what “White Out energy” entails.

The Nittany Lions will walk away from Saturday with their first ranked win of the season.

Nolan Wick (3-0): Penn State 34, Illinois 27

There’s a way Penn State loses this game. The Nittany Lions could be catching a hot Fighting Illini team at the wrong time. They’re well-coached, and although it’s easy to gloss over Luke Altmyer after a disastrous showing against Penn State in 2023, he’s improved significantly this season.

Penn State can go far if it doesn’t get in its own way. In other words, keep the penalties at a minimum. This plays into the bigger key, which is stopping Illinois from getting momentum, and too many penalties can lead to that happening.

Despite having said all of this, I’ll give the edge to the Nittany Lions. They’re better on paper, and Beaver Stadium’s home-field advantage at night is always helpful. Unless it’s a top-10 matchup, they’re almost always a reliable pick to win at home. However, don’t be surprised if Illinois wins, because it’ll be close. Buckle up, folks.

C.J. Doebler (3-0): Penn State 34, Illinois 13

After last week, I don’t think the Penn State offense will slow down under the lights this weekend, even against a stout Illinois defense. Penn State had no trouble with the Fighting Illini last year, and I don’t think the team, especially quarterback Luke Altmyer, is improved enough to give Penn State a real challenge.

The crowd will absolutely make a difference and if there is “White Out energy” during the primetime tilt, the Nittany Lions are going to roll past Illinois.

Mitch Corcoran (3-0): Penn State 30, Illinois 15

If there’s one thing this Illinois team is really good at, it’s forcing turnovers. Its defense forces 2.5 turnovers per game and against Kansas, it forced four. However, Penn State has been good at limiting turnovers.

Drew Allar has just three career interceptions, and Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton have a combined six fumbles lost in their careers. Protect the ball and force Illinois to win with its offense, something I don’t think it’s capable of against the Nittany Lions’ defense.

Penn State will do just that and the offense won’t slow down much as a result.

Joe Lister (3-0): Penn State 31, Illinois 10

Don’t get me wrong. The first quarter of this game will be the worst 45 minutes of your life. However, once Penn State gets rolling, it’ll all be over.

I understand that this Illinois team is significantly better than the group Penn State ran all over last year. I don’t really care. This will be a similar result to last year’s Iowa game. If Penn State can score at least 10 points in the first half, I won’t have too many concerns about what happens the rest of the way.

Since I’m being cocky, I’ll add a caveat. K.J. Winston and Dom DeLuca’s absences could be game-changers. That being said, I’m still confident in Penn State winning.