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00:00It's number nine, Penn State hosting number 19 Illinois coach.
00:07It's a 17 and a half point spread for a top 20 battle in the big 10.
00:12Just how competitive do you think tonight's game is going to be between
00:15the Illini and the Nittany Lions?
00:19Now, you know, I love Illinois to end the spread.
00:23They, you know, they are a very physical team.
00:24Brett Billiman knows what he's doing.
00:27They're going to run the football and they're going to try to keep
00:29Penn State on the bench and with as physical as they are and the way
00:33they run the football, I don't see this game getting to be that much
00:36difference in the point spread.
00:38Uh, Penn State's going to win.
00:39They're too talented.
00:41Uh, they're explosive.
00:42They're talented.
00:43They've got now, they had a little bit of a hiccup against Bowling Green, but
00:46they've got a better football team, but I like Illinois to slow it down, run
00:50the football and keep it much closer.
00:53Coach, in regards to playing in Happy Valley, you did that back in your days
00:57in Akron, you played them very well and you stepped up against power five
01:01opponents throughout your tenure.
01:03You actually knocked off Pittsburgh in regards to their house as the
01:07underdog in regards to this matchup.
01:09What can Illinois do to actually pull off the upset and strike it over Penn
01:14State and as a double digit underdog?
01:18Well, anytime you're a double digit underdog, you gotta look at
01:21the two most important things.
01:23Turnovers and explosive plays.
01:25A one play drive can kill you when you're the underdog and turnovers take away and
01:30give the other team another possession.
01:32So you gotta make sure you win those two battles, but I'll say this.
01:35If you keep it close early at Penn State, their fans get into it.
01:39I don't know if it's a white out game, but it usually is at Penn State.
01:42I've coached there and I've played there.
01:44Uh, you've got to stay close early to get those fans out of the game.
01:48And I think that's what, what Illinois has to do.
01:51And I think that's what they will do.
01:53They will slow it down.
01:54If they could not give up the explosive play, what I call the one play drive.
01:58You don't want one play drives.
02:00They've got a chance to keep it close and quiet that stadium down.
02:06The official whiteout game coming later this year for Penn
02:09State against Washington.
02:10But coach, you're right.
02:11White out energy is the call from James Franklin for tonight's top 20
02:15tilt hosting the Illini.