Big Ten-ACC Challenge 2014: Full Schedule, Live Stream and Predictions

While college football fans argue over hypothetical conference strengths and which leagues are better with playoff spots on the line, college basketball supporters get to see two of the country’s top leagues actually battle it out on the court.

The Big Ten and ACC take center stage every season with the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, and the 2014 version features marquee showdowns between Duke and Wisconsin, Syracuse and Michigan and Ohio State and Louisville.

With that in mind, here is a look at the entire schedule and some predictions for every game.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Pick
Dec. 1	Rutgers at Clemson	7 p.m.	ESPNU	Rutgers already won, 69-64
Dec. 1	Nebraska at Florida State	7 p.m.	ESPN2	Nebraska already won, 70-65
Dec. 2	Pittsburgh at Indiana	7 p.m.	ESPN2	IND
Dec. 2	Minnesota at Wake Forest	7 p.m.	ESPNU	MIN
Dec. 2	Syracuse at Michigan	7:30 p.m.	ESPN	MICH
Dec. 2	Illinois at Miami (FL)	9 p.m.	ESPN2	MIA
Dec. 2	North Carolina State at Purdue	9 p.m.	ESPNU	NCST
Dec. 2	Ohio State at Louisville	9:30 p.m.	ESPN	LOU
Dec. 3	Michigan State at Notre Dame	7:15 p.m.	ESPN2	MSU
Dec. 3	Virginia Tech at Penn State	7:15 p.m.	ESPNU	PSU
Dec. 3	Iowa at North Carolina	7:30 p.m.	ESPN	UNC
Dec. 3	Georgia Tech at Northwestern	9:15 p.m.	ESPNU	NW
Dec. 3	Virginia at Maryland	9:15 p.m.	ESPN2	UVA
Dec. 3	Duke at Wisconsin	9:30 p.m.	ESPN	WIS

*All games can be viewed online at Watch ESPN (cable subscription required).

Tuesday Game to Watch: Ohio State at Louisville

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

If Duke’s trip to Wisconsin on Wednesday is the main course of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, then Ohio State and Louisville is a juicy appetizer.

Lauren Brownlow of Fox Sports pointed out that something has to give in the matchup between Ohio State’s offense and Louisville’s defense:

"

A fantastic battle of offense versus defense looms here, as Ohio State has the No. 1 effective field goal percentage (eFG%) in the nation and Louisville has the No. 1 overall defense (No. 3 in eFG% defense). Ohio State is shooting a ridiculous 63.9 percent from inside the 3-point line and Louisville's opponents have shot just 36.9 percent from two.

"

While Brownlow focuses on Ohio State’s offense, there will be plenty of defense to spare on both sides of the court.

The Cardinals are No. 1 in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted defensive efficiency rankings, while the Buckeyes are No. 17. Both feature perimeter ball-hawks who pressure opposing guards in Terry Rozier and Chris Jones for Louisville and Shannon Scott and D’Angelo Russell for Ohio State.

Aaron Craft may no longer be around spearheading the Buckeyes defense, but Scott played alongside the Big Ten’s all-time steals leader for enough years to pick up a trick or two.

Louisville also features the dominant Montrezl Harrell down low as a rim-protector and rebounding machine. The Cardinals lead the nation in rebounds per game largely because of Harrell, which is critical because their offense has only shot 43.7 percent from the field in the early going. There will be plenty of misses that Louisville can capitalize on with easy second-chance points.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

That will be a problem for an Ohio State team that doesn’t have a single player averaging six rebounds a game.

If the Buckeyes do grab some long rebounds, they can push the tempo in what already promises to be an uptempo game. Both teams rank in the top 10 in the nation in forced turnovers and will attempt to parlay those turnovers into easy chances at the other end.

Ohio State forward Sam Thompson discussed the chance at this developing into a faster-paced game, according to The Associated Press, via ESPN.com: “We feel we are at our best attacking. We still feel we are at our best getting out of transition and getting some easy baskets. It's all about our mindset, how we attack, how we get out of transition, and how we get ourselves in rhythm."

Louisville’s press is a major problem for many opponents, but with Thompson and Russell filling the wings and point guard Scott, who leads the nation with 10.4 assists, leading the way, the Buckeyes should be comfortable in a track-meet type of game.

When the game does settle down into the half-court, the matchup to watch will feature Ohio State’s Russell and Louisville’s Rozier.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Russell, who is only a freshman, leads the Buckeyes offense with 18 points a game and is more than comfortable hitting from beyond the three-point line or attacking the rim off the dribble. He is also a Louisville native and should be plenty motivated for this one.

It will be up to the lightning-quick Rozier to stay in front of Russell and prevent the youngster from stuffing the stat sheet.

Another thing to watch is how the Buckeyes react to the hostile crowd. They have yet to play away from home on the season and now have to start off the road slate with a trip to play against one of the nation’s best teams.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Ohio State represents a stiff nonconference test for a Louisville squad that only scored 45 points the last time out against Cleveland State. However, Ohio State is yet to be tested against elite competition this season, will be playing on the road in front of a raucous crowd and simply doesn’t have an answer for Harrell’s 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.

Amir Williams and Anthony Lee are both solid options on the block for the Buckeyes, but Harrell is the best player in this game.

Sometimes, the best players make the biggest difference in the closest games. 

Prediction: Louisville 62, Ohio State 57

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