Can't Wait For Saturday | Penn State pieces in place if passing is passable
May 26—***
The Big Ten football season will be here before you know it. Illinois is one of the two Big Ten teams opening Aug. 29 (Minnesota is the other). The rest of the league opens that weekend.
Between now and May 29, I am continuing to count down the 2024 Big Ten race. Feel free to disagree.
Only three Big Ten teams bring back more starters than the Nittany Lions —Iowa, Northwestern and Nebraska. And none of them are on the schedule. While the Nittany Lions still have play Ohio State, they won't see Michigan unless they meet in the conference title game. The running game should be among the best in the country led by Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Yes, the noncon schedule includes a trip to dangerous West Virginia, but the other two games are wins against the MAC.
Sure, the run game is lights out, but the passing game is a major concern. Drew Allar has not lived up to the hype so far. With 12 teams now in the playoffs and Michigan off the schedule, James Franklin is expected to lead the team to the College Football Playoffs. Anything short of that will be considered a major disappointment. One more scheduling point: Illinois visits Beaver Stadium on Sept. 28. Last time the teams met there, it did go well for the home team (nine-OT loss).
