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No. 7 Penn State can't afford a slipup against an Illinois team that needed a field goal in the closing seconds to beat Toledo 30-28 in its opener and lost 34-23 at Kansas last week. The Illini have a chance to make a bold statement in a nationally televised game against one of the nation's most talented teams. Penn State has an explosive offense with a quarterback in Drew Allar who has thrown with pinpoint accuracy, completing 43 of 55 passes in the Nittany Lions' first two games. That's a problem for a porous Illinois defense that so far has not resembled the 2022 Illini defense. That crew last year led the nation in scoring defense and ranked in the top 10 nationally in 15 other major defensive categories.
