It's Penn State-Illinois week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more

Penn State continues the 2023 season this week with both its first Big Ten Conference game of the year and also its first road trip. The No. 7 Nittany Lions are off to Champaign, Ill., this week for a matchup with Illinois (1-1). Head coach James Franklin’s team is coming off of a 63-7 demolishing of FCS foe Delaware.

“If you talk about the stats we talk about, the time of possession, turnover battle, we won, explosive play battle, we won,” Franklin said. “I think we doubled explosive plays. Third down battle, we won. Sack battle, we won. Starting field position battle, we won. The one thing we did not win is the penalty battle, which is disappointing, but overall, really good.”

Get ready for the Fighting Illini with our early game preview below.

Time and TV info

Penn State and Illinois meet at Noon ET (11 a.m. CT) at Memorial Stadium. FOX is airing the game in its ‘Big Noon Kickoff’ window. Its top broadcast team of Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt should be on the call.

What is the Penn State-Illinois point spread?

DraftKings made the Nittany Lions a 12.5-point favorite when it released a look-ahead line last week. The site took that number down once Week 2 games started. But, it hung a new point spread on Sunday. The Lions are a 14.5-point favorite.

Game week schedule for the Lions

The schedule will be similar to what it has been in years past. There will be no media availability on Monday. On Tuesday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.

Outside of a potential spot on a pregame show, that will be it for the week until Franklin’s postgame news conference, with players following him.

What’s up with Illinois?

Bret Bielema enters his third season as the Illinois head coach. Some thought the Fighting Illini could win the Big Ten West in 2023. That is still possible. But the team suffered a setback in Week 2, when it lost to Kansas 34-23 in a game that was not as close as the final score might indicate. The Illini held on to beat Toledo 30-28 in Week 1.

Luke Altmeyer is the Illinois quarterback. Penn State will have to be aware of his running capabilities. He has completed 37 of 54 pass attempts for 413 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. He has also run 139 yards and two scores. Reggie Love III and Josh McCray are the lead running backs. They have combined for 35 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Williams is the top receiver. He has 11 catches for 150 yards. But, Pat Bryant has the most touchdowns with two.

Defensively, safety Miles Scott leads the way with 13 tackles and an interception. And, defensive tackle Jer’Zahn Newton leads the team with two sacks.

Weather report

The early forecast from Weather.com calls for “Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 73F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.”

Early Penn State-Illinois story lines

–It has nothing to do with this year’s game, but the 2021 nine overtime fiasco Penn State lost to the Illini at Beaver Stadium will come up more than once this week, without fail.

–Will the Lions have issues with the Illinois run game? It must contain Altmeyer and not allow Love III and McCray to get loose. This is a less of a concern today than it was in August but it is also Penn State’s first big test.

–Will any players who were out last week return? We’re awaiting to see if cornerback Daequan Hardy, defensive tackle Coziah Izzard and defensive end Amin Vanover will make their season debuts, among others.

–Is Penn State ready for Big Ten play and a game away from Beaver Stadium? There are no signs that a step up in competition and a contest away from State College will be a problem. But, this is this some what young team’s first test in both departments in 2023.

–The Illini are rotating offensive linemen right now, and they’re not sure it’s working. So, will they pick a set five and play them the entire game? Or, will they keep rotaing?