Some things to watch in the Big Ten on Saturday:GAME OF THE WEEKPenn State at Pittsburgh. Nittany Lions fans arent satisfied with back-to-back 7-6 records, so this game could be a referendum on third-year coach James Franklin. Pitt is recognized as a program on the rise, and that chafes Penn State people who long for the days when their team was relevant for the right reasons. The Lions and Panthers are meeting for the first time since 2000, and the implications are obvious: recruiting edge in the state and bragging rights.BEST MATCHUPIllinois run defense against North Carolinas rushing offense. The Illini, who allowed nearly 250 yards rushing in each of its last three games in 2015, are No. 1 nationally against the run this week after FCS Murray State netted minus-10 yards. Their home game against the Tar Heels will be an indicator of how much progress Illinois will make in Year 1 under the defensive-minded Lovie Smith. The Tar Heels ran for 254 yards while beating Illinois 48-14 last year, and they averaged 8.4 yards a carry in their season-opening loss to Georgia. Elijah Hood, who went for 129 yards against Illinois last year, is back. The Illini have a new stopper in grad transfer LB Hardy Nickerson.INSIDE THE NUMBERSMaryland, which visits FIU, has won three of its last four road openers, including victories at Temple, UConn and South Florida. ... UCF, which plays at No. 5 Michigan, is 2-2 in its last four games against ranked opponents, including wins over top-10 teams Louisville and Baylor in 2013. ... Markell Jones will try to become the first Purdue player to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since 2012 when the Boilermakers host Cincinnati. ... Rutgers, which plays FCS Howard at home, has won each of the previous four meetings with the Bison by a combined 165-39. ... Seventeen redshirt freshmen and nine true freshmen made their first appearances for Ohio State last week. ... Wisconsin is going for its 36th straight home non-conference win when it plays Akron. ... Indiana, which hosts Ball State, is trying for an eighth consecutive nonconference win.LONG SHOTIowa State is a 15-point underdog heading into the Cy-Hawk Trophy game at Iowa and is coming off a loss to FCS Northern Iowa. But remember, the visiting team has won four straight in this series.PLAYER TO WATCHNebraska QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw a long touchdown pass against Fresno State last week but was just 5 of 10, and that led the Cornhuskers to rely heavily on the run. Coach Mike Riley is demanding more balance, so well see if Armstrong can deliver against Wyoming. He needs two TD passes to tie the school career record of 56 by Taylor Martinez.---Online:AP college football website: http://collegefootball.ap.orgAaron Nola Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Lenny Dykstra Jersey . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. http://www.philliesrookiestore.com/Phillies-Dave-Cash-Kids-Jersey/ . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Dave Hollins Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Tommy Joseph Jersey . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Zach LeDay scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Seth Allen added 15 points and Virginia Tech beat the Virginia Military Institute 88-72 on Saturday night.Virginia Tech (3-0) took the lead for good with 6:44 left in the first half on Khadim Sys layup. The Hokies led 44-34 at the break on the strength of 57 percent shooting and a 19-12 rebounding edge.Tech led by 20 points on several occasions in the second half but VMI kept chipping away.QJ Peterson scored 29 points (23 in the second half) with three 3-pointers and eight rebounds for the Keydets (1-1). Adrian Rich and Trey Chapman added 10 points apiece.Virginia Tech finished shooting 60 percent from the floor (33 of 55) and hit 7 of 17 3-pointers. VMI shot 44 percent from the floor and was outrebounded 34-28.Justin Bibbs and Chris Clarke each added 13 points for Tech.ddddddddddddTAKEAWAYSVirginia Tech: Tech is now 91-43 all-time against the VMI Keydets in a rivalry that dates back to the 1908-09 season. The Hokies have won the last six games in the series. Tech doesnt begin the ACC portion of its schedule until a New Years Eve noon home game against Duke.VMI: The Keydets havent beaten Virginia Tech since Dec. 4, 2004.UP NEXTVirginia Tech hits the road for their next game against New Mexico on Thanksgiving Day in Fullerton, California, competing in the Wooden Legacy tourney. ESPN will carry the 4:30pm contest.VMI is on the road Tuesday night against Presbyterian College. 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