Can PSU answer its critics tonight?

The Nittany Lions (4-0) play host to Illinois (2-1) in their Big Ten opener before a white out at Beaver Stadium.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Blue-and-white juggernaut or just a fluke?

No. 12 Penn State handled its non-conference schedule with its high-octane offense, though questions still lurk about whether the undefeated Nittany Lions are the real deal.

It sounds a lot like the whispers surrounding No. 22 Illinois and whether it’s just a one-year wonder following the dramatic 2007 run to the Rose Bowl.

Answers will come tonight, when the Nittany Lions (4-0) play host to the Illini (2-1) in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

“We’re champing at the bit a little bit,” Penn State’s quarterback Daryll Clark said. “Hopefully we can make a statement come Saturday and say, ‘OK, this team is for real here.’ ”

Penn State leads the conference in scoring (52.8 points per game), and the mobile Clark has looked poised in running the team’s so-called “Spread HD” offense.

It’s more than enough cushion for a defense holding teams to 10 points a game and getting constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks, despite injuries and suspensions along the defensive line.

“A bunch of big, strong athletic guys ... Some of the backups we think are just as good as their starters,” Illinois coach Ron Zook said. “They are going to make you make mistakes.”

The Nittany Lions may have gained more respect for their early success long before the 8:22 p.m. kickoff, when Oregon State upset top-ranked Southern California, 27-21 Thursday. Oregon State was routed by the Nittany Lions, 45-14, three weeks ago.

Suddenly, Penn State’s non-conference schedule doesn’t look so bad — even though the other three victories came against Syracuse, Temple and FCS school Coastal Carolina.

Receiver Deon Butler understands why some observers might be skeptical.

“I can understand the outsider’s view,” Butler said earlier this week. “I think our players are a little bit more confident in ourselves. ... We go to practice every day, and we see it day in and day out.”

Like Penn State, there are questions about Illinois’ recent success.

Illinois hasn’t been overly impressive so far, losing its season opener to Missouri in a shootout. They scored an easy win over Eastern Illinois, but struggled in a three-point victory over Louisiana-Lafayette two weeks ago.

Zook vows his team will be prepared, especially after getting a bye last week. The Illini also have the added confidence from last year’s 27-20 win over Penn State in Champaign.

“This is a big-stage game. The Missouri game was a big-stage game. We’ve been in that atmosphere already this year,” Zook said. “Although we haven’t played the way we want to play, that part is not going to be a concern, I don’t believe.”