Get behind-the scenes insights, observations and breaking news from PennLive’s award-winning Penn State coverage team. Get a spot inside the Beaver Stadium press box and on the practice field as Bob Flounders, Johnny McGonigal and Max Ralph bring you all the latest on the Nittany Lions as they hear it.

Penn State opens Big Ten play Saturday against No. 19 Illinois at 7:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium. A game with two ranked opponents isn’t what many of us, myself included, expected, but it’ll be a test for a Penn State team that looks like a College Football Playoff contender.

Burns was just on the receiving end of a 56-0 blowout loss at the hands of Penn State — his team’s second straight lopsided defeat after it lost to Tennessee on the road last week, 71-0. So he knew what he was getting into in Happy Valley.

We break down the 12-team College Football Playoff picture through four weeks, including Penn State's position.

James Franklin’s goal was to create more offensive plays. The outcome in Penn State’s 56-0 win over Kent State was that and then some. The three keys to offensive dominance — third-down execution, diversified involvement and quick defensive sets — were all checked on Saturday.