ACC anticipates another 'Challenge'

The ACC/Big Ten Challenge always offers intriguing match-ups, and this year's version of the made-for-ESPN event, which begins tonight with Penn State's trip to Virginia, shouldn't disappoint. Ten teams are ranked, and there's a rematch of April's national title game.

Then there's the little matter of whether the ACC can keep the Big Ten 0-for-forever in the 11th year of this "Challenge."

The lineup

Tonight

Penn State at Virginia, 7, ESPN2

Tuesday

Northwestern at N.C. State, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Wake Forest at No. 6 Purdue, 7 p.m., ESPN

No. 21 Maryland at Indiana, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

No. 2 Michigan State at No. 11 North Carolina, 9 p.m., ESPN

Virginia Tech at Iowa, 9:30, ESPN2

Wednesday

No. 20 Illinois at No. 19 Clemson, 7:15 p.m., ESPN

No. 22 Minnesota at Miami, 7:15 p.m., ESPNU

Boston College at No. 15 Michigan, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2

No. 7 Duke at Wisconsin, 9:15 p.m., ESPN

Florida State at No. 17 Ohio State, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2

Three reasons the Big Ten could (finally) win

Guard play.

The Big Ten has it in the form of Kalin Lucas, the returning league player of the year at Michigan State, as well as Michigan's Manny Harris, Penn State's Talor Battle and Ohio State G/F Evan Turner, who were all named to the league's preseason first team. The ACC, meanwhile, is still far from replacing the likes of Ty Lawson, Toney Douglas, Tyrese Rice and Gerald Henderson.

Georgia Tech isn't playing.

Usually, the ACC has an advantage, because with 12 teams and only 11 games, it gets to drop the squad that finished last in the conference the previous year.

That often means shielding a subpar squad from Challenge duty, but that strategy could backfire this time around.

The Yellow Jackets finished 2-14 in league play last season, but this year's team boasts a plethora of frontcourt talent in 6-foot-10 freshman Derrick Favors and 6-9 junior Gani Lawal, and the Big Ten won't have to face it.

Michigan State's memory.

UNC returns only one starter from the team that won the national title, while the Spartans return three.

That's a lot more experience for the Spartans, and a few more players who remember being blown out by the Tar Heels in the championship game and in a December matchup in last year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge by an average of 26 points.

There's a definite revenge factor in play in the Challenge's marquee game.

Three reasons the ACC could win (again)

Because it always does.

The ACC has swept the first 10 "challenges," winning 62 of the 97 games. Duke (10-0) and Boston College (3-0) are the only undefeated teams in Challenge play.

Post play.

What the ACC lacks in guards, it makes up in big men. Clemson's Trevor Booker, Wake Forest's Al-Farouq Aminu, Florida State's Solomon Alabi and UNC's Ed Davis are among those who could be hard for the Big Ten to handle.

If they dominate the lane, their league could live up to the Challenge, again.

Miami, projected to finish near the bottom of the league, is off to a surprising 7-0 start.

That doesn't mean the Hurricanes will necessarily upset the No. 22 Golden Gophers - this will be, after all, Miami's toughest opponent so far this season - but it doesn't seem like as much of an impossibility as a month ago, because of the play of senior forward Dwayne Collins and freshman guard Durand Scott.

And the ACC just might need a surprising win or two to prevail this season - considering some of its early eyebrow-raising performances, such as UNC's loss to Syracuse, Wake's loss to William & Mary and Maryland's two losses in Maui, just to name a few.

Staff writer Ken Tysiac contributed to this report.