ACC-Big Ten Challenge matters in March
Penn State fired the opening salvo in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge Monday night, holding off Virginia and giving the conference an all-important road win.
Seriously. If the Big Ten ever expects to win this event – it’s 0-10 thus far – winning in enemy territory is crucial. Home teams are 30-14 in this thing.
Jason Redmond/AP |
Clemson coach Oliver Purnell
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Some think this is the year the Big Ten finally wins (Seth Davis disagrees.) If this is the year the Big Ten wins, expect a big sigh of relief from the middle of the country.
"It does bother me, as it does our players, coaches and fans,'' Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany told ESPN’s Andy Katz, who detailed reasons why the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is more than just a typical showcase event. To sum up: bragging rights matter.
"It matters because the two leagues are constantly compared against each other,'' Clemson's Oliver Purnell told Katz. "So you're interested in doing your part, and you do pay attention to the scores. I know last year was real close.''
The challenge has come down to a one-game difference five times, including last season. At some point, the Big Ten will win one. Maybe this year, maybe next season. Who knows. But the teams involved do care. The fans certainly care.
And perhaps most importantly, the NCAA tournament seeding committee cares.
"I'll tell you what helped us come March,'' says Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said, "was going to Virginia Tech [in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge] and winning last year.''
There it is. Even if you don’t care about the bragging rights, perhaps the committee does. That’s reason enough to care who wins this thing.
Check out Mike Miller on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) tonight and tomorrow for random thoughts about the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
