How did the ESPN 'College GameDay' crew pick Penn State-Illinois?
No. 9 Penn State meets No. 19 Illinois tonight for the right to stay unbeaten during the 2024 college football season. The Nittany Lions are a 17.5-point favorite ahead of kickoff, which is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. It’s the Big Ten opener for head coach James Franklin’s team, which is 3-0 after a perfect non-conference stretch that included a bye during the first four weeks of the year. The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, come to town at 4-0 and already have one conference win under their belts after beating Nebraska in overtime last weekend.
Pundits here at Blue-White Illustrated and across the state and country have already logged their predictions for this matchup. Now, the cast of the famed ESPN pregame show College GameDay has, as well. How do they see it playing out?
Lee Corso: Penn State
Kirk Herbstreit: Penn State
Desmond Howard: Penn State
Nick Saban: PSU
Pat McAfee: PSU
Celebrity guest picker Terry Saban: PSU
“This Illinois team is going to be tested, but I think they’re going to be built for it,” McAfee said. Added Howard:
“The Penn State offense I’ve been watching is a lot of fun. [Andy Kotelnicki] constantly puts defenders in conflict. I love what I see from this Penn State offense. This is going to be a great game.”
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The top NBC crew of Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Penn State alum Todd Blackledge (color commentator), and Kathryn Tapper (sideline reporter) will call the game. It’s Homecoming in State College, and the Nittany Lions will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its historic 1994 team. Ki-Jana Carter will serve as Saturday’s honorary Nittany Lion captain. Team arrival is set for 5:15 p.m. ET. Blue-White Illustrated will have continuing coverage throughout the day before, during, and after the game.
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How did the Blue-White Illustrated staff pick Penn State-Illinois?
Nate Bauer: Penn State: 44, Illinois: 17
Sean Fitz: PSU: 35, Illinois: 16
Thomas Frank Carr: Penn State: 38, Illinois: 17
Matt Herb: PSU: 28, Illinois: 20
Greg Pickel: Penn State: 41, Illinois: 17
Ryan Snyder: PSU: 34, Illinois: 14
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