Joel Klatt Sees Upset Brewing: Illinois vs. Indiana Prediction

Saturday night's showdown in Bloomington might not feature traditional Big Ten football powerhouses, but Indiana's hosting of Illinois on Saturday will be one of the biggest games for the conference this year.

No. 19 Indiana (3-0) hosts No. 9 Illinois (3-0) on Saturday night to open the conference schedule for both, in a game that could end up being a makeshift College Football Playoff tilt.

Joel Klatt Predicts Indiana vs. Illinois Showdown

Not many people get as close to Big Ten football action as Joel Klatt, who works as the color commentator Fox Sports, generally sees one of the best Big Ten games on an almost weekly basis. Although this week he'll be at the battle between Texas Tech and Utah, that didn't keep him from weighing in on Indiana and Illinois.

Speaking on The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt made a rather bold prediction for Saturday night's contest.

"I think Illinois wins the game outright, which means the five and a half that they’re getting is a no-brainer to me, which, again, makes me a little bit nervous,” Klatt said. “I like Illinois outright, 24–21, even as the dog.”

Klatt also echoed the national sentiment that Saturday's game will be "a massive game for playoff implications." He made the Illinois pick despite the Hoosiers being a 4.5-point favorite.

ESPN FPI Predicts Indiana vs. Illinois

The ESPN Football Power Index has also weighed in on Saturday night's game, and thinks differently than Klatt. It gives Indiana a 62.8% chance at victory while Illinois gets just 37.2% shot at the win.

The FPI currently gives Indiana a 29.6% chance at making the College Football Playoff while Illinois has a 19.9% chance at making the dance.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts:

Indiana has beaten up a few tomato cans to get to 3-0, but the offense has looked more explosive each week. It's not the easiest to judge it against the likes of Kennesaw State and Indiana State, but the Hoosiers' running game has been outstanding. Averaging 6.9 yards per carry to date, establishing the run is a must Saturday if the Hoosiers are going to move to 4-0.

That's something that will have to be done without the explosiveness of Lee Beebe, Jr., who has been ruled out for the rest of the year due to a knee injury.

For Illinois, Luke Altmeyer has more Big Ten experience at quarterback than Fernando Mendoza at Indiana, and the Illini are hoping that ends up being a difference, another thing Klatt predicted.

Can Indiana keep Illinois from slowing the pace and the scoring? As usual in a big game, who controls the line of scrimmage will control tempo and the game.

Can we just get to Saturday already for this one?