#10 Penn State (3-0, 0-0) at Illinois (2-1, 0-0)
The Game of the Century, Number 328, will be played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign (kept very cold). Just kidding about the game of the century. For most people, unless they forgot completely about watching it because of the weird day and time, it will be a yawner as they look across the horizon to next Saturday’s showdown with tOSU. Let us hope the Nittany Lions team at least shows up.
Nine PM on a Friday night, eh? What’s up wid dat? Are Jim Delany and the Big Ten now going into competition with high school football. I can picture Delany saying, “We want-um some Friday night lights for Heap Big Ten.” Or not. But last I recall, like last year, Franklin was saying WE WON’T PLAY ON FRIDAY NIGHT! So, Delany stuffed a pacifier in Franklin’s mouth and said, “Yes you will, because Daddy says so. Besides, it’s good for you.”
Well, fuck, it’s not too good for the fans. What about the dads and moms among us who have sons in high school football programs. They have to choose between Dear Olde State and Dear Young Son. WTF? Is there no end to the Big Ten and major college football greed? Talk about “culture of football”, willya!
But I digress…
A game cometh, whether we like the day and kickoff time or not, and I’m here to tell you this is another one I would rather not write about. This game is likely to be like Kent State, only more boring and sloppier. Hell, Illinois had a tough time beating both Kent State and Western Illinois, which should tell you something about the “young” Illini. Then, they lost to South Florida, which isn’t an awful team since Charlie Strong got there, and way better than Illinois.
O, How I Sputter!
Illinois sucks in just about every statistical category. Third down conversions, for example. They’re honking along with just under 33% conversions. (Contrast that with Penn State’s mighty 39.5%. LOL. LMAO. They suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!
Stevens Back?
Tommy Stevens is expected to return in full battle dress, which generally means some excitement lies ahead. And lo, we need some excitement, already.
(What the fuck is a “quick hitter?” I know approximately what it means in the football context but how the hell many trite sports columns are going to call shit “quick hitters”. I think they should call those terse comments “lazy-ass writing for short attention spans” instead of fucking “quick hitters”. Makes me want to puke. But I digress.)
According to Franklin (and who would know better than the illustrious head coach?) John Reid might be back for this game, too. Lord knows, with the two crappy quarterbacks playing for the Illiniweks, he could have a couple INTs his first game back from the infirmary.
Other than that, Franklin didn’t say much at his Tuesday press conference, so what the hell can I write about? I guess I’ll do some “quick hitters.” NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO BULL-SHEEEIT!!!
Da Wedda
The forecast calls for a high of 84 degrees and 61% chance of precipitation, some of it in the form of “quick hitter” severe thunderstorms. So WTF. Kickoff at 9, delayed to 12:20 AM due to thunderstorms? Whattya think?
Da Bottom Line
Did you skip the bullshit and come directly here? So did I. This is the place where Swami N. Turkey gives the weekly prediction, and he’s about to die of boredom, so he better make it quick. (I’m taking my first day of a course of Prednisone, which always wires me and makes me goofy, so that explains some of it). Anyhow, I vigress.
OK, let’s make a long story short. (A quick hitter?). Right now, the line is PSU by four touchdowns over Illinois, with an o/u of 59. That works out to 44-15 or thereabouts, as it were. I’m going with 45-10, and that’s that. Take the OVERRRRRRRRRRR.
I’ll be back after the game sometime with a less frenetic wrap-up.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!
Share this:
Discover more from The Nittany Turkey
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
K. John says
At this point I am in, “wait for Ohio State” mode. Despite the team getting outplayed and outcoached Appy State and getting dominated by Pitt by nearly three quarters only to see them quite literally give the game away in every way possible, most fans are back on the playoff band wagon. Personally, I see no reason to revise my 7 and 5 pick. Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin can all do what Pitt to the front seven and more, and they won’t commit 14 penalties and have a plethora of kicking game blunders. Then there is Ohio State that appears to be legit and a very dangerous Indiana team. But, that is two weeks away. Time to celebrate another lob sided win. In week one, the Illini had to mount a furious comeback to topple the mighty MAC team State just knocked for a loop last Saturday. Yeah, they were outplayed by Kent State for the majority of the game. This Illinois team might be the worst Big Ten team I have ever seen.
State does what it wants, when it wants and lights up the scoreboard. The backups get in, the freshmen get some more game experience and I will miss it because it is on a channel I don’t have, just like last weekend.
State 56
Illini 17
The Nittany Turkey says
Fox Sports 1, I presume? At least it’s not on Fox Sports 2. Hey, I remember one Temple game (at Franklin Field) for which only a raw feed was available. You had to have a big ugly dish to get that one.
I think we’re all in “wait for Ohio State” mode. This game has so much wrong with it: crappy opponent, crappy kickoff time, crappy day of week, crappy TV coverage, crappy old stadium, (possibly) crappy weather, (probably) crappy, “get it over with” attitude of team, etc. Fortunately, it doesn’t conflict with the season premiere of Blue Bloods, which I believe is next Friday, so the viewership will be maybe 100,000 homes instead of 46.
I have to agree that Indiana is a potential stumbling block if this Nittany Lions team doesn’t have it together by then. I haven’t heard any of the pundits mention that, but what the hell do they know? But first, we have the Super Bowls with the Illiniweks and tOSU, so we better focus on them.
If it isn’t past their bedtime, the Nittany Lions should prevail by a mile. Your 56-17 prediction is duly noted.
—TNT
psudrozz says
(wakes up)
(yawns, scratches balls)
PSU 52
Illinois 10
(rolls over, goes back to sleep)
The Nittany Turkey says
A little anesthetized and disinterested, eh? Yeah, I second that emotion.
Got you for 52-10.
—TNT
Joe says
Well, I must say I do hate the idea of the B1G holding these Friday night games. Mostly because in this case it’s a 9pm start time for us poor birds back on the East Coast. Who the hell’s bright idea was that! I have a tough enough time staying awake when the damn things start at 7pm! And I say that even though it gives another day of prep to get ready for the bucknuts next week.
Anyway, not going to spend a lot of time on this one. Illinois barely beat Kent State when the two met on the gridiron, so I’m not saying stranger things haven’t happened, but I’m seeing a repeat of the Kent State game-a good slobber-knocking victory and no one getting hurt.
Since CJF thought he should have tried a couple of field goals last week, I’m going with a 55-13 score. That’s seven TD/PAT combos and 2 FG’s for the good guys and 13 points for the Fightin’ Illini, which I’ll leave up to them on how they put those on the board.
And how about that beard that Lovie is sporting! Wonder if he lost a bet!
Joe says
That’s a repeat of our game with Kent State!
Big Al says
Like K John, I’m tuning out this game and waiting on the Suckeyes. The Kitties win by at least 3 touchdowns. How many more than 3 is anybody’s guess and frankly I don’t GAF.
What really bums me out is that the Iowa and Moo U games are not on any TV channels I can get. Those two games will tell which B1G teams have a good shot to beat State. If Iowa and Moo U win, then the Kitties’ biggest roadblocks to reaching the B1G title game are going to be tO$U and Iowa.
I don’t think they get past those roadblocks, but 10 wins are possible and 9 wins are likely. And, no, I haven’t been drinking the blue Kool Aid, it’s just that the B1G really, really, really sucks this year. If State played in the SEC West, they’d have a hard time winning more than 7 games
Michael Geldner says
I think it will be 48-21 with PSU on top!
RD says
Psu 57 – 10