ACC/Big Ten Challenge: Storylines Heading Into Wednesday Night's Games

It is a time unlike any other in college basketball. Where each conference views another as an equal counterpart, the ACC certainly has had the Big Ten's number lately. And when I say lately, I mean for 10 straight years.

The Big Ten/ACC Challenge was designed for the purpose of giving each of the conferences a chance to see how they rank up against tougher competition early on in the season. However, this "challenge" has only proved to be difficult for the Big Ten, as the ACC has won this annual event the first 10 years it has been held.

Which then argues, why is this competition is still around?

Yes, the ACC has a perfect 10-0 record in the challenge versus the Big Ten.  However, you can not overlook how close several of the competitions were when the event was first founded:

1999: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2000: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2001: ACC 5, Big Ten 3

2002: ACC 5, Big Ten 4

2005: ACC 6, Big Ten 5

The Challenge lived up to expectations the first few seasons, but since that time the ACC has crushed any hopes of a victory for the Big Ten. Will this season be any different, or will the ACC continue it's dominance?

Take a look inside at some of the storylines heading into tonight's games.

Penn State Escapes Virginia With a Win

The first game of the 2009-2010 event saw Penn State escape Virginia on the road, 69-66. Tony Bennett's Cavaliers never found their range, and reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, Sylven Landesberg, never found his shooting touch as the Nittany Lions became the first Big Ten team to have a three-game win streak in the challenge.

Led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Talor Battle, who averages 20 points a contest, the NIT champions from a year ago held off a late Virginia rally that saw a 10 point lead shrink down to three with only six seconds to go.

Virginia's late three-point attempt at the buzzer was off target, and Penn State was victorious. The win put the Big Ten in good position after the first night with a 1-0 lead overall in the event.

Wildcats Defeat the Wolf Pack, Help Big Ten Take 2-0 Lead

The Northwestern Wildcats lost their best player, Kevin Coble, for the season before it even began. Hampered by a foot injury sustained in a pre-season practice, Coble is out for the season.  The foot injury that is said to be minor but will require surgery.

With Coble out, many speculated that the Wildcats' chances of contending for the Big Ten title were lost. Michael "Juice" Thompson and John Shurna, however, are trying their best to get Northwestern national attention and prove that the Wildcats are the real deal, even without their star player.

In their Big Ten/ACC Challenge game versus NC State, Thompson and Shurna did just that, winning on the road for the first time in the event with a 65-53 rout of the Wolf Pack. Tracy Smith scored 23 points and pulled down seven boards for Sidney Lowe and the Wolf Pack, but the tandem of Thompson and Shurna proved to be the difference makers.

The win for Northwestern gave them an all-time record in the challenge to 4-7, while the Wolf Pack dropped to 5-5. The win for the Big Ten gave them a 2-0 lead in the 2009 version of the event, drawing them ever closer to the six wins required to win their first ever Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Wake Forest Puts Up Fight, but Pudue, Big Ten Rack Up Victories

After Wake Forest lost to Williams & Mary at home, the team had to face their coach Dino Gaudio and explain where during the game that the team lost its imposing will, energy, and most importantly its historic values.

Not only would a loss at home against much lesser competition hurt this year's team, but it would hurt the history of the basketball program as a whole. Next up for the Demon Deacons: An ACC/Big Ten matchup at No. 6 Purdue.

As if things couldn't go any worse for the Deacons, an away game at a Top-10 team's arena would do the trick. However, Wake Forest came out looking for revenge against the Boilermakers and took a two-point halftime lead back into the locker room.

Wake Forest looked completely different: They were hustling down the floor, out-rebounding a taller Purdue team, and altogether out-playing the number six team in college basketball. The emotions of the moment took its toll on the Deacons, however, as Player of the Year candidate Robbie Hummel lead the Boilermakers to a 69-58 win.

The win improved Purdue's record in the event to 4-6 all-time, while the loss set Wake Forest back to 8-3. The Big Ten had come out firing on all cylinders, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the challenge that they have never before won.

Hoosiers Show Signs of Improvement, but Maryland Gives ACC First Win

Tom Crean arrived at Indiana with the mind-set to rebuild one of the most historic basketball programs in all of college basketball. With a young and inexperienced group, he had trouble last year at winning and closing out ball games. This year's team, however, is stacked with talent and potential freshman stars.

On the other side of the court, Gary Williams' Maryland team is one of the most experienced teams in the ACC, led by senior point guard and ACC Player of the Year candidate Greivis Vasquez.

After pursuing the possibility of leaving early for the NBA during the offseason, Vasquez decided to return to Maryland with one thing in mind: lead his team to the promised land, a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

That mind-set, along with the strong play on Landon Milbourne, led the Terrapins to a 80-68 win against the Hoosiers, leaving Crean with even more questions about his team's ability and commitment.

The loss dropped Indiana to 3-7 all-time in the event, with Maryland improving to 8-3. The win for Maryland put the ACC back into contention and on the board at 3-1, although the Big Ten still held the lead.

Delaney, Virginia Tech Cut Into Big Ten Lead, 3-2, Knock Off Iowa

The game that had the most question marks and uncertainty surrounding it lived up to its expectation as Virginia Tech took on Iowa in Iowa City. Tech, which has been one of the most talented teams in the ACC in recent years, is now left with voids to fill after several of their key players departed.

One strong player that has returned to Virginia Tech, however, is Malcolm Delaney. Racking up 18 against the Hawkeyes, to go along with a 13-point outburst from Terrell Bell, Virginia Tech defeated host Iowa, 70-64.

The Hokies committed just five turnovers in the game and won its third game on a four game road swing. Victor Davila and Jeff Allen each added 10 points for the Hokies, who are now 2-3 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

Ironically, both of the Hokies wins in the event have come against Iowa. The Hawkeyes, however, fell to 2-7 overall in the challenge. The win cut into the Big Ten's lead, making the challenge now 3-2, in favor of the Big Ten.

North Carolina Wins Title Game Rematch Versus MSU, Challenge Tied At 3-3

The Michigan State Spartans have been the lone Big Ten team to have success in the challenge, boasting a 5-4 all-time record in games played in the event before their game versus North Carolina.

The No. 11 Tar Heels took control of the game against the No. 9 Spartans early in a rematch of last year's national championship game, although the Spartans didn't go down without a fight.

UNC ended up walking away victorious, 89-82, a game in which Sophomore Ed Davis scored a career-high 22 points to play a key part in the contest. The same could not have been said for Davis in the national title game last year, as he was a reserve on a very talented Roy Williams' team.

The loss dropped Michigan State to 5-5 overall in the annual event, which leaves the Big Ten with zero teams that have a winning record in its 11 year history. North Carolina, meanwhile, improves its all-time record in the challenge to 6-5.

This left the Big Ten/ACC Challenge tied at 3-3 heading into the final day of the event.

Wednesday Night Games:

Illinois at No. 19 Clemson

Miami at Minnesota

Boston College at Michigan

No. 5 Duke at Wisconsin

Florida State at No. 15 Ohio State