Happy Valley was rocking Saturday night when No. 19 Illinois came to town. After a slow start, Penn State pulled away to win the game 21-7.

Illinois is a good football team, so only winning by 14 points is no shame. It was nice to see Penn State get an excellent early test before they head to USC in two weeks to play one of the best teams in the country.

The Nittany Lions moved up in the AP Poll Rankings after their Week Five win, moving from number nine to seven. They are now the third highest-ranked Big Ten Team.

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How Penn State Football Stacks Up in The Big Ten

Ohio State comes in at number three, and Oregon is a spot in front of Penn State at six, but the Nittany Lions still have to play the Buckeyes this season so they can take them out of the Top Five spot.

Penn State’s win against Illinois was an excellent resume booster, and the Nittany Lions probably didn’t count on it when they saw Illinois on their schedule.

The Nittany Lions will host UCLA this week in a game they should win, and they will get ready for their massive matchup in California with 11th-ranked USC the following week.

Penn State has a chance over the next few weeks to claim a playoff spot, beating USC and Wisconsin and then beating Ohio State, but if they only drop one game this season and it’s not a bad loss, they will be playing meaningful football in December.

MORE: Major Flaw Emerges for Penn State in Win Over Illinois

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