Big Ten Game of the Week: No. 9 Penn State vs. No. 19 Illinois

A prime time matchup of unbeaten teams that could help shape the early conference title race.

Penn State running back Nick Singleton (10) carries the ball in the second half of an NCAA football game against Kent State, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in State College, Pa. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Big Ten Conference play starting to heat up, there are some intriguing matchups on the horizon, including one that is taking place Saturday.

Saturday night will feature a showdown between No. 19 Illinois and No. 9 Penn State. Two undefeated teams who have their eyes set on making the Big Ten title game and the first 12-team playoff.

The Fighting Illini are coming off of a marquee victory over Nebraska. It was a ranked road win that put them on the map as a contender in the Big Ten early in the season. Meanwhile, Penn State sits inside the top 10 and has taken care of business so far this year.

But the Nittany Lions have had a scare early in the season. After looking fantastic in the opener at West Virginia, Penn State sleepwalked to a 34-27 win over Bowling Green. The next week they faced lowly Kent State and won 56-0.

The Nittany Lions are facing an Illinois team with loads of momentum. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011. In addition to their victory over Nebraska, they also beat Kansas for a ranked non-conference win. Victories like that always come in handy when building a playoff resume.

Illinois' Luke Altmyer and Penn State's Drew Allar make for an interesting quarterback battle. Allar is having a great season so far, with 729 passing yards and eight touchdowns to just one interception. Altmyer is playing at an even higher level with 862 yards and 10 touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Fighting Illini were able to win in a tough road environment at Nebraska last week. They will be in for an even greater challenge in the colossal Beaver Stadium under the lights. Despite both teams being undefeated, the Nittany Lions are a 19.5-point favorite as of Friday afternoon.

The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CDT on NBC.

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