Syracuse Basketball: Ranking the ACC-Big Ten Challenge match-ups

Syracuse basketball traveling to Rutgers is one of numerous awesome battles in the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and we examine these games.

Syracuse basketball will head to former Big East Conference foe Rutgers on Tuesday, Dec. 8, as part of this season’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

This annual event is tons of fun, pitting two of the premier leagues across college basketball. After a down year in 2019-20, the Atlantic Coast Conference is expected to regain its spot, along with the Big Ten Conference and a few others, as the best leagues around the country.

The 14 games in the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 8 and Wednesday, Dec. 9, as first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein and later confirmed in an ACC press release.

All of these encounters will air on ESPN’s networks, the ACC says. Since the event’s inception, the ACC is 12-6-3 in the challenge and 133-106 in individual affairs.

What follows below is our take on ranking each of the bouts within the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. As always, we seek out your feedback!

Illinois at Duke
Duke is, well, Duke. The Blue Devils always lose top-flight talents to the pro ranks, and then they reload. Illinois is going to be a top-four squad in the Big Ten during the 2020-21 stanza.

North Carolina at Iowa
The Tar Heels will rebound after a brutal 2019-20, and Iowa is a pre-season top-five crew, per some national pundits.

Michigan State at Virginia
Well, this is an intriguing meeting. The Cavaliers are deemed the favorite to capture the ACC, at least as far as pre-season prognostications go, and the Spartans are always a strong squad. Plus, brothers Sam and Joey Hauser will square off in this duel.

Louisville at Wisconsin
The Cardinals should prove a top-five ACC unit, while the Badgers will contend for the Big Ten regular-season crown.

Indiana at Florida State
Not sure how well the Hoosiers will fare in the Big Ten, however, the Seminoles are ultra-talented, having claimed the ACC regular-stanza prize in 2019-20.

Syracuse at Rutgers
A match-up of former Big East Conference opponents, as well as two teams that should arrive in the top half of their respective leagues.

N.C. State at Michigan
The Wolfpack and the Wolverines are both solid outfits.

Georgia Tech at Nebraska
I’m high on Georgia Tech in 2020-21. We’ll see if Nebraska can turn things around.

Ohio State at Notre Dame
Not sure how the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish are going to do in their conferences.

Purdue at Miami
Purdue may take a step back, while the Hurricanes are looking pretty good.

Maryland at Clemson
The Tigers could surprise some folks in the ACC. The Terrapins have a lot to replace from 2019-20.

Pittsburgh at Northwestern
I believe that the Panthers will be better than the experts predict in 2020-21. I can’t say the same about Northwestern.

Penn State at Virginia Tech
It may prove a long season for each of these squads.

Boston College at Minnesota
Just not loving this match-up, but then again, what do I know?