When Wisconsin and Louisville meet up in the rescheduled Big Ten/ACC Challenge game, more than conference bragging rights are on the line.
If the importance of two top-25 teams meeting in non-conference play was not evident, the fact that this game was rescheduled and will take place 10 days from its original date should shed some light On top of that, in order to ensure the game gets in, they will be tipping off at 11 am in order to play it before the Wisconsin football kicks off.
On the surface, this looks similar to a one-sided relationship, where one individual reaps all the benefits and outsiders are left to question the intentions of the other. Lousiville has a lot more to gain from this match-up. The main reason why they have so much to gain is founded on the fact that they will be competing against the better team.
This match-up goes beyond the current 6-5 lead the Big Ten currently holds in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, it is an opportunity to make a statement prior to the start of conference play. A victory by Wisconsin should garner them enough votes to once again join the top 10 teams in the nation. A win by Louisville sends a message to the ACC and the nation.
With six ACC teams currently in the top 25, a Lousiville win would allow them to leapfrog over North Carolina, Duke, and perhaps surpass Virginia now their game is canceled versus Villanova and establish themselves right behind Florida State as one of the top teams in the ACC. Come March, this Louisville team will be even more impressive when Head Coach Chris Mack gets his players back from injuries. A win by either team will be a statement that will be remembered.