College football’s top 5 matchups of Week 3

5. No. 7 Penn State vs. Illinois – Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET, FOX

Penn State and Illinois have been doing battle in the Big Ten for three decades, and historically, it’s been the Nittany Lions that have dominated, leading the series with 20 wins and just six losses. However, the Fighting Illini have earned four wins in the series since 2007, with the latest coming in 2021 as Illinois pulled off a major upset over then No. 7 Penn State in a record nine-overtime thriller in Happy Valley.

Penn State enters its 2023 matchup with Illinois ranked No. 7 again, and will look to avoid the upset this time around. The Nittany Lions have played well in their first two contests of the season, blowing out Delaware and West Virginia thanks to a strong offensive output led by talented sophomore quarterback Drew Allar and a dynamic running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Meanwhile, Illinois comes into the contest looking to avenge a loss at Kansas which followed a narrow victory over Toledo. Penn State will be a tougher test, but an upset is possible for Bret Bielema’s guys with a strong performance from Luke Altmyer.