On the road again.

Penn State opens Big Ten play on the road at Illinois today at noon (FOX). It will be the eighth-straight season and the 13th time in the last 14 years the Nittany Lions are away from Beaver Stadium for their Big Ten opener. Despite Illinois’ surprising 34-23 loss to Kansas last week, the first conference road game is always a tough test.

“We go to Illinois, which is a tradition around here, opening on the road in the Big Ten. We love it,” said Penn State coach James Franklin. “I actually called Pat Kraft (athletic director) a little bit ago. I think they (Big Ten) were talking about coming out with a new schedule, so we’re going to try and reverse psychology and ask to be on road this year and see what happens.”

Last week, Penn State beat FCS opponent Delaware 63-7. Sophomore quarterback Drew Allar completed 84.6 percent of his passes a for 204 yards and a touchdown. In two wins this season, Allar has completed 43-of-55 passes and ranks sixth in the nation with a 78.2 completion percentage. He has thrown for 529 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.

But it was Penn State’s rushing attack that was dominant in week two, piling up 315 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Kaytron Allen gained 103 yards and scored once and Nick Singleton added a career-high three rushing touchdowns. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing yards, averaging 230.5 yards per game.

Penn State’s run game should cause some issues for the Illini, which gave up 262 yards at six yards per carry and two touchdowns to the Jayhawks last week. The Illinois’ defense also had a tough time defending the pass against Kansas, giving up 277 yards and two passing scores. The Illini allowed 539 yards of total offense.

On the season, Illinois ranks 105th in the country in scoring defense (31 points per game), 122nd in rushing defense (224 yards per game), 99th in passing defense (253.5 yards per game) and 125th in total defense (477.5 yards per game).

“They’re an odd front or okie front defense. We’ve been impressed with their personnel. Been a lot of talk about their personnel all offseason. Defensive tackle, No. 4, Jer’Zhan Newton, defensive tackle, No. 88, Keith Randolph, linebacker, No. 8, Tarique Barnes, defensive end No. 17, Gabe Jacas, and then their nickel corner, No. 14, Xavier Scott, and then their safety, No. 10, Miles Scott,” said Franklin. “These are guys we’ve got a lot of respect for on tape. There was a lot of buzz about these guys in the preseason as well, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete against them.”

On offense, Illinois ranks ninth in the Big Ten in scoring (26.5 ppg), ninth in total offense (357.5 ypg), ninth in passing (204 ypg) and seventh in rushing (153.5 ypg).

Mississippi transfer quarterback Luke Altmeyer is a good athlete who can plays with his feet. Altmeyer threw for 202 yards and a touchdown, while adding 70 rushing yards and two scores against the Jayhawks. The Illini’s best offensive weapon is wide receiver Isaiah Williams, who had six catches for 99 yards against Kansas and has 11 catches for 150 yards on the season. Illinois is always looking for ways to get the ball to Williams either in space or down the field.

The Penn State defense has put together two stingy performances this season led by the front seven.

Penn State has at least six tackles for loss in each of the last 10 games - the longest streak among FBS teams. Expect the Nittany Lions to put pressure on Altmeyer. Penn State is ranked No. 16 in the country in sacks per game with 3.5 per contest.

Las Vegas has the Nittany Lions favored by 14.5 points over the Illini.

I have yet to see anything from Illinois in the trenches that makes me to believe that they will be able to stop the Penn State rushing attack. Illinois does have talented players in the middle in Newton and Randolph, but it hasn’t clicked yet for that group as far as stopping the run. Also, Illinois lost three defensive backs to the 2023 NFL Draft in the first 66 picks. That means Allar, who seems to be gaining more confidence every week should be able to exploit those losses.

My pick is Penn State 37, Illinois 13.