Penn State vs. Illinois Prediction: Football on Graduation Day!

That Penn State and Illinois even will play their Big Ten "Champions Week" game should be considered a victory.

Three of the conference's Week 9 games have been canceled (including Purdue-Indiana for the second time), and the only true crossover games are Nebraska-Rutgers, the Ohio State-Northwestern title game and this one. Penn State and Illinois actually will close the weekend schedule.

That Illinois, which fired coach Lovie Smith on Monday, even wants to play this weekend is surprising, and acting head coach Rod Smith sought to put his best foot forward this week.

"I met with the team [Monday] morning and told them that we are here for them," Rod Smith said. "Even though there is a chance some coaches will or won't be around, I wanted to tell them that we are here for them and we will do our damndest to help them finish the season."

So, what to expect? Here's a look.

Penn State (3-5) vs. Illinois (2-5)

When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Beaver Stadium

TV: FS1

Series History: Penn State leads 19-5

Last Meeting: Penn State 63-24 in 2018

Betting Line: Penn State is a 15-point favorite

Why This Game: The Big Ten initially announced that teams would play a series of crossover games as a companion to the championship but recalibrated that formula after rivalry games were canceled. In a true standings crossover, Penn State likely would have played Wisconsin. But Wisconsin and Minnesota elected to play their rivalry game, which dates to 1906, while Purdue and Indiana rescheduled their (since canceled again) in-state rivalry game. Since Penn State already played Iowa and Nebraska, that left Illinois.

About the Lions: Coach James Franklin credited his team with another "really good week of testing" with regard to COVID-19, something Penn State appears to have handled exceptionally well this season. The athletic department's most recent testing report, covering the week of Dec. 5-11, indicated one positive test result among 1,263 athlete tests administered. If Penn State and Rutgers do play, they will be the only Big Ten teams to complete a nine-game season. Franklin also noted that his team is playing better, having extended its win streak to three games with a 39-24 victory over Michigan State. Further, how many players get to graduate and play football on the same day? Penn State's virtual commencement is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, with several Lions set to graduate.

About the Illini: Josh Imatorbhebhe, a USC transfer who led the team with 22 receptions, announced Thursday that he's entering the NFL draft, leaving the offense without its top threat. Not that Illinois' offense presented much of a threat. The Illini have started four different quarterbacks this season. They are last in the Big Ten in rushing, passing, completing percentage and red-zone offense and 13th in scoring. They were missing multiple starters last week against Northwestern, due to COVID-19, contract-tracing protocols and other reasons, and lost after giving up 28 unanswered points. Rod Smith has his work cut out for him. "There's no sugarcoating it," he said this week. "It is a hard time for our student-athletes."

Prediction: Franklin suggested that Illinois will bring trick plays and fourth-down tries and a last-ride enthusiasm to the game. Maybe. Or maybe the lame-duck staff spent the week more focused on finding other jobs. Either way, these two programs were headed in different directions before Lovie Smith was fired. Now, Penn State's seniors (and players considering early departures) get one more chance to play at Beaver Stadium. They'll make the most of it.

Penn State 31, Illinois 13

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