The ACC-Big Ten Challenge once again goes to the Big Ten (B1G). With wins by Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota and Penn State last night, the B1G prevailed by an 8-4 margin.
It’s time to face this unfortunate fact: the ACC is not as good of a basketball conference as it used to be.
In years past, the ACC would never let another conference – let alone the B1G – dominate it in head-to-head challenges like this one. I remember when the ACC would dominate the Big East, which was thought to be a basketball conference that was more than worthy of challenging the ACC. Hell, in the first few years of the ACC-B1G challenge, the ACC dominated to the point the question was asked “why have this challenge?”
Now the conference of my youth has lost this challenge for the third year in a row, and the difference between the conferences were not even close. Ohio State beating down Duke pretty much summed it up. The B1G’s best team (Ohio State) smashed the ACC’s second-best team (Duke).
Aside from Virginia upsetting #15 Michigan (actually it was an ass-whupping), the B1G showed that it is the clear-cut better conference.
Growing up in ACC country, that is a hard pill to swallow. It was even tougher for me to type.
Categories: college basketball, sports story
To me the ACC was known for years as the best place to play basketball. Sadly, as of late the conference is seeing a major down turn in talent (outside of Duke and NC). The conference has always played a good, clean game with intelligent players. I think the B1G’s current success has been modeled with a lot of those same principles. My only fear is that the players not going to the ACC are heading to the Big East for the one and done shot at the NBA. I just can’t wait for the new NCAA rules to take effect forcing good GPA’s and teams to actually graduate players. I think that will bring a lot of talent back to the ACC and keep the talent you see in the B1G with the B1G.
Yeah,
It hurts like hell to see this happen to the conference I grew up loving. Maybe things will change during conference play?
I think the ACC will put 5 teams in with 3-4 having a shot to win a couple of games or more. If FSU can find a way to score they become the 3rd deep run team come final 4 time. It’s really going to come down to coaching and finding that “team” come March. FSU and a couple of other teams should look to MSU on how to start slow and finish strong.