If the ACC Wins the Big Ten-ACC Challenge Again, It's Time to Rename It

The Big Ten-ACC Challenge has been an early season treat for college basketball fans since it's inception in 1999—at least for ACC fans anyway.

Despite several close calls over the past ten years, including the ACC's 6-to-5 record last season, the Big Ten has never won the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

Not once.

In fact, Michigan State is the only Big Ten team to have a winning record in the challenge.

Perhaps "challenge" was the wrong word for the event.  Maybe something like the "ACC-Big Ten Beat-down" would have been more appropriate.

With the Big Ten off to a good start after Penn State's three-point victory over Virginia, could this be the year the Big Ten finally steps up to the challenge (for lack of a better term)?

The ACC is certainly down after a mass exodus of talent to the NBA last season—there were seven first round draft picks from the conference in June.

The Big Ten retained a ton of talent and experience, however, with stars like Robbie Hummel, Manny Harris, and Kalin Lucas deciding to return.

As of last week, the Big Ten had six schools (Michigan State, Purdue, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Illinois) in the Top 25 compared to five for the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, Maryland, and Georgia Tech).  

But Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois each lost two consecutive games last week, dropping out of the Top 25.

That means both conferences will have three Top 25 teams apiece in the challenge—Maryland dropped out of the rankings and Georgia Tech isn't competing in the event this year—making for a pretty even field on paper.

We'll know whether or not the Big Ten is ready to reverse trends in just a few days, but there are several intriguing questions worth delving into before the results are in.

Will Duke finally lose a Big Ten-ACC Challenge Game?

As crazy as it is that the Big Ten has never won the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, it's equally mind-boggling that the Duke Blue Devils have never lost a game in the event, sitting at a perfect 10-0.

Last year looked like a good window for the Big Ten to hand the Blue Devils a loss, as the then No. 4 Blue Devils took on No. 10 Purdue at Mackey Arena.

But the Blue Devils handled the Boilermakers despite a two-point output from Duke star Gerald Henderson.

Will Wisconsin end the Blue Devils streak when Duke travels to Madison on Wednesday night? The Blue Devils will certainly be the odds on favorite, as they are now the No. 5 team in the nation.

Nonetheless, Bo Ryan's teams are always tough, especially at home. The Badgers' only loss on the season came against a solid Gonzaga team in the Maui Invitational (and come on, the severe climate difference between Hawaii and Wisconsin had to be a factor).

Duke hasn't shot the ball well outside of Cameron so far this season—they only shot 35.7 from the field and 27.8 from beyond the arc at Madison Square Garden last week—so the unfriendly confines of the Kohl Center might give Duke a challenge.

At the same time, the Badgers haven't exactly scorched the nets this season—they are currently shooting less than 30 percent from the three-point line.  If the Blue Devils can force jump shots the way they did against Connecticut last Friday, the Badgers could be in for a rough night.

There is also talk that Mason Plumlee, Duke's 6'10" star recruit who was a projected starter before breaking his wrist prior to the season, will be available for the Blue Devils on Wednesday, adding to an already huge Duke front court.

The Badgers may give Duke a run for its money, but the Blue Devils have too many offensive weapons to not pull out a win in Madison.

Will Michigan State get some revenge against North Carolina?

The Spartans had a fantastic season last year—except for when they played North Carolina in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and again in the NCAA title game.

The Tar Heels had a 26-point average margin of victory in their two games against Michigan State last year and both of those wins were on the road.

This season, the Spartans, now No. 9 in the polls after their loss to Florida, certainly have plenty of motivation to beat a North Carolina team still struggling to find its identity.

But don't think the Tar Heels lack their own motivation.

At the start of the season, North Carolina was being talked about as a legitimate Final Four contender once again despite losing practically everyone after last year.

The Syracuse Orange quickly put an end to that talk after soundly beating the Tar Heels almost two weeks ago.  There is no doubt the defending national champions are looking to prove that they are as good as their preseason hype.

Neither team does a good job taking care of the ball as both teams average over 14 turnovers per game.  Michigan State has a 1.5/1 assist-to-turnover ratio compared to North Carolina's 1.2/1 ratio, so don't expect a well-executed game.

North Carolina played their best game of the season against Nevada on Sunday, despite the game being close.  However, the Tar Heels have serious problems scoring the ball when Deon Thompson and Ed Davis aren't putting up big numbers.

In the end, Kalin Lucas and Michigan State's  back court is too strong and too experienced for the Tar Heels.

This game might look just as lopsided as last year's match up, but with opposite results.

Who's on upset alert?

This could very well be a year where every high ranked team beats their opponent, but if I had to pick an upset it would be Florida State over Ohio State.

The Buckeyes' Evan Turner might be the best player in either conference, but Florida State throws a front line at opponents that makes most teams' bigs look like fourteen year-old kids just hitting their growth spurts.

The Seminoles don't play with consistency and they rarely win pretty, but they have a remarkable ability to take opponents completely out of their game with their size and athleticism.  

Florida State's only loss this season came against a surging Florida team, and they overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to beat Marquette on Sunday.

Make no mistake, the Seminoles will beat several good teams this year, and the Buckeyes could be their first quality victim.

Does the ACC win it again?

On paper, this really does look like the Big Ten's year to win the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

But ultimately, I think the ACC comes out on top with a 6-to-5 record with Duke, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Miami, and Florida State walking away with victories.

If the Big Ten wins their first Big Ten-ACC Challenge, good for them.  The Big Ten is certainly a great conference.

If the ACC pulls it out again, however, it's time to find a new name for the event—"challenge" won't cut it anymore.