Yes we are 3 and 5 against Penn State over the last 3 seasons, yes ever since the 2006 buzzer apparently not beater we have not beaten the Nityany Lions at home. Yes last year we lost both one of the lowest scoring games and the last second Talor Battle shot miracle game. And yes, I am tired as hell of losing to this team.

In the most elitist manner possible, I don't think a school like Illinois, with its history of being a basketball power, should be losing to a team that not only plays second fiddle to the football team, but probably behind the Volleyball team as well. Don't get me wrong, Talor Battle is an amazing talent, but I don't think I can ever forgive him for making that show last year, or even Mike Davis for missing that free throw (Sorry Mike.)

Even more important than my deep seeded feelings of resentment and anger towards to the Penn State basketball team however is the fact that this is the last lower tiered Big Ten team on the soft front half of the schedule. Its an opportunity to go 4-0 in the Big Ten before a gigantic back to back set of games between the two best teams in the conference, Michigan State and Purdue.

In the favor of the Illini tonight is the fact that the game will be at home, that Penn State is riding a 3 game losing streak in the conference, and that Stanley Pringle is no longer on the team. First and foremost though, the Illini are going to have to find a way to stop Talor Battle. There is no more Chester level defender left on the team that the Illini can go to to shut down the best player on the floor. Jeff Jordan is the best we've got, and that makes me worried somewhat. The rest of the Penn State does not scare me in the least, but late in the game, with the game on the line, Battle has shown he can overcome better and more talented teams by himself.

The Illini have had a tendency to play lots of nail biting close games lately, and this is a recipe for disaster against Talor Battle. Get in front of the Nittany Lions early with the size and scoring advantage of Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis, and then put that team away early. Don't let Battle beat you, and don't let him be the difference.

That's the analysis I have, because this streak is filled with so many oddities and surprises that there is no way any one of us can actually predict what will happen tonight.

Tip is at 8pm on the Big Ten Network.