Penn State Football To Host Illinois In Week 9 ‘Champions Week’ Matchup
Penn State football (3-5) will face Illinois (2-4) on Saturday, December 19 as part of the Big Ten’s first-ever “Champions Week,” the conference announced Sunday afternoon.
The Nittany Lions will host the Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. The game will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on FS1.
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 13, 2020
#B1GFootball Champions Week
Check out the #B1G Football Champions Week schedule! Which matchup are you most excited for? pic.twitter.com/kFahxWgQZh
As part of the Big Ten’s modified season plans, Champions Week will feature additional matchups between East and West foes. The winners of the Big Ten East and West, No. 4 Ohio State and No. 14 Northwestern, respectively, will face off for the conference title at noon on FOX.
Penn State is 19-5 all-time against Illinois and is currently riding a two-game win streak dating back to 2015. The teams’ last meeting in 2018 resulted in a 63-24 Nittany Lions win powered by a 200-yard, three-touchdown performance from running back Miles Sanders.
Should Penn State win, the Nittany Lions could be in a decent position to make a bowl game as a 4-5 team. Of course, they’ll need to get past the Illini first and keep their fingers crossed.
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