Which of the Big Ten vs ACC Challenge matchups have the most intrigue for NCAA Basketball fans?
One of the best yearly traditions in NCAA Basketball is the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which gives us tremendous matchups every season. While the Big 12, SEC, and Big East have their moments, the ACC and Big Ten arguably have been the most consistent leagues in terms of top-tier talent ad overall depth.
It’s been 22 years for this event, with the ACC having the edge the past few years, before the Big Ten winning it, 8-6 overall. Some of the big matchups from a year ago include No. 1 Louisville beating No. 4 Michigan, Duke defeating Michigan State in a battle of heavyweights, while Purdue destroyed Virginia by 29 points. Ohio State dismantled North Carolina by 25 points in what proved to be a sign for the Tar Heels overall struggles.
It wasn’t clear if this event would even go on this season, due to the ongoing Pandemic. The Big Ten/ACC Challenge was actually canceled on the women’s side just a few days ago. However, an official announcement was made that it would still go on for the men, with a set of matchups also released.
ACC/Big Ten Challenege schedule. pic.twitter.com/OQqjhmSECi
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 30, 2020
While the rest of the non-conference schedule is being set up for the 355 participating programs, we at least know that December 8th and 9th need to be circled on every NCAA Basketball fan’s calendar.
There are plenty of quality matchups to look at among the 14 games, including some potential top-10 clashes. Here’s a ranking, as well as a prediction, of each game and why it’ll be so intriguing to watch.