MBB: B1G leading ACC/B1G Challenge 6 - 2
An update on the Challenge after another night of games. After 2 nights, the B1G is up on the ACC 6-2. Biggest surprise so far is definitely OSU beating the #1 ranked and previously unbeaten Duke. I wasn't expecting OSU to be this good. If they can bottle whatever mojo they had in this game, they could be in the fight for the Conference title.
Michigan faces UNC at 9:15 EST, and are favored (by ESPN) by 1.5 points.
Personally, I don't have a lot of hope for a Michigan team still trying to find itself in the Dean Dome, so already chalking it up as a learning experience for the team that should help them in the B1G season and the Tourney.
Other games to come tonight
Louisville at MSU (MSU -4.5)
Nebraska at NC State (NC State -6.5)
VTech at Maryland (Terps -1.5)
Wisconsin at Georgia Tech (Wiscy -3.5)
Penn State at Miami (PSU -4.5)
If the spreads hold, the BIG goes 11-3 and wins this for the 4th year in a row. Weird to me how The Challenge seems to get a lot less attention as an event whenever the B1G is winning it, but maybe that's just me.
December 1st, 2021 at 2:34 AM ^
Any good games in the challenge yet?
December 1st, 2021 at 8:49 AM ^
Haven't had a chance to watch as much as I want, but seems like it. OSU-Duke was good,only because it's always good to see Duke lose.
Didn't watch this one, but Indiana and Syracuse was a 112-110 overtime game for 'Cuse, if nothing else, Indiana's offense will keep them in games. It's also scary that our defense is going to have to face Purdue and Iowa, who lead the country in PPG, 4 times!
December 1st, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
The first two games came down to the wire. The OSU comeback last night was intense, which is gross to say but anytime Duke loses it's a good thing.
December 1st, 2021 at 10:52 AM ^
I don’t know, that’s a tough one: would you rather see Duke or Ohio State lose? Perhaps it is sport-dependent. Love seeing Duke lose, but I can never say I am happy OSU won anything.
December 1st, 2021 at 10:24 AM ^
The 2 losses were in OT and 2OT.
The B1G could be 8-0.
December 1st, 2021 at 3:14 AM ^
We’re a football school again.
December 1st, 2021 at 6:55 AM ^
Good point about how the ACC-B1G Challenge has become diminished with the ascension of the B1G. I attribute that to 2 factors:
- Basketball media is dominated by (East Coast) media conglomerates like ESPN/FOX/CBS and they simply don’t regard the Midwest as newsworthy as the population corridor on the Atlantic seaboard.
- That’s coupled with the fact that the media is shot through with lazy journalism. It’s easier to get attention in college basketball ‘reporting’ if Duke and NC are dominant storylines. The Big East used to also benefit from east coast bias, too.
We’re just dumb pudknockers out here in the prairies. To Hell with the East Coast.
December 1st, 2021 at 8:16 AM ^
As someone who lives in NYC, I agree.
Except maybe for the "To hell with the East Coast part."
December 1st, 2021 at 8:19 AM ^
I agree with the OP's assertion. In the early days of the challenge you'd see "ACC" everywhere when they were beating the Big Ten.
I also pretty much agree with what you wrote. I would have a hard time explaining all the love that Kansas has received over the years. Larry Brown was good at self-promotion and Roy Williams was a "Carolina" guy.
Many years ago I remember a Big East school (St. John's?) losing to one of the Voshon Lenard (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voshon_Lenard) Minnesota teams in a preseason game. One their players (a NYC-metro guy) said something like "It sucks to lose to a school from the Midwest, to players you've never heard of." See -- sometimes they're honest. :)
December 1st, 2021 at 7:04 AM ^
BEAT UNC!!
December 1st, 2021 at 8:58 AM ^
This!!! Hoping Howard and the team had a chance to adjust some things over Thanksgiving, because Michigan hasn't shown me they can win a game like this YET this year.
December 1st, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
fucking hoosiers
December 1st, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
Those goddamn buckeyes wrecked my 3-team parlay with St Louis and Creighton last night. Now trying to figure out with whom I can make it up tonight.
I love sports. I love gambling.
I hate sports gambling.
December 1st, 2021 at 7:51 AM ^
I definitely lost some money on that game along most everyone else.
December 1st, 2021 at 8:20 AM ^
Two overtime games (both wins for the ACC), two one-point games (both wins for the Big Ten). Very entertaining so far!
December 1st, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^
we have a lot of kinks to work out and playing UNC in carolina isn't my idea of how anyone could pick us as a 1.5 pt favorite. unless carolina is having a down year, smart money goes to UNC tonight.
December 1st, 2021 at 9:22 AM ^
UGh, I was hoping Ohio State would endure some more humiliation this week. Let's hope Michigan keeps it going and wipes out the Heels tonight. GO BLUE!! BEAT UNC!!
December 1st, 2021 at 9:56 AM ^
I will be at the UNC/UM game tonight. Not as hopeful as I was preseason as I think this Michigan team will be good but it will take them some time to get there. UNC is also stumbling a bit but this is a game where the home court can really help. But maybe we can get a couple of players on track. It would be nice to see Johns and Houstan have solid games.
December 1st, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
Let's start getting our PG play in better order. Would like to see improvement at that position.
December 1st, 2021 at 10:47 AM ^
I hate that OSU Basketball is a fun team to watch.
December 1st, 2021 at 1:06 PM ^
Just not OSU, there are 4 to 5 B1G teams that could make a deep run this year in the NCAA tournament. Gonna be another war in the league
December 1st, 2021 at 3:10 PM ^
Hoping some of the football magic made it on the plane with the basketball team. Or at the very least that it cane with me and wife when we traveled south after the game last weekend. We'll be there tonight cheering on the wolverines!