7-2

Well, that was fun, wasn’t it? Other than one egregious example, that ACC kicked the crap out of the Big Ten yet again in the “Challenge.”
Other than the one-sidedness of the “challenge,” which really surprised no one (and that says it all), the big shocker was just how badly Wake Forest was beaten. Illinois looked every bit as good against Wake as Georgia Tech did against Michigan. The Illini were nearly perfect for about three quarters of that game. They are a great team, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they fail to match that effort and execution again this year. They just couldn’t play any better.
I think Wake learned two important lessons. First, defense really does matter. They’ve been paying lip service to that notion all fall, but getting busted in their chops might really convince them that they need to do more than talk about it. There are plenty of other games on their schedule where the same thing could happen to them if they don’t contest shots.
The other lesson is that it’s one thing to be ranked high and another to be #1. Duke and UNC learned long ago how to play as #1, when you’re the biggest game for every opponent and their fans. It ain’t easy to have the target on you. Fortunately for Wake, Illinois blew that sucker right off of them.
The other marquee game of the night was UNC at Indiana. Well, it was marquee from a standpoint of two huge programs, but many thought the Heels would blow out the Hoosiers and their crazy coach. Not quite. The game was fairly ugly, but Carolina showed they could win a slugfest too. They never really looked like they’d lose, but they just couldn’t put away the home team. I swear the last minute of that game took twenty minutes to play.
Clemson held off Ohio State in the Who Cares game of the night. Actually, I cared, because the win clinched the win for the ACC just after Wake had been treated like Najeh Davenport’s laundry hamper. I brief visions of a disastrous collapse, but of course, that wasn’t to be. Clemson looked decent last night, but it’s hard not to think that they are going to have a long season in the ACC.
The last game, and maybe the most boring, was Virginia going to Chicago and beating Northwestern. Man, that Princeton offense makes for some drool-inducing hoops. And I don’t mean salivating. I mean drooling on your pillow. Yeah, it’s pretty at times, but good lord, would you at least try to score? I have a hard time believing that they’ll be able to recruit good players to play that way. Maybe that’s why their team is like the UN; they probably don’t get too many Northwestern games on TV in Croatia and Morocco.
For the Cavs, it was actually a good win, although it was close. In previous years, Gillen’s teams couldn’t be bothered to pay attention on defense for more than, say 10 seconds. Playing D for 30-35 seconds at a time would have been impossible. It would have looked like a layup drill. Last night though, UVA held tough. They passed another test. I doubt they’ll win more than half of their conference games, but they are a pretty decent squad.
So, now that the ACC has spanked the Big 10 for the sixth straight time and 7-2 for the second time in a row, it’s time to put this baby to rest. The total record is now 34-19 for the ACC. Like I mentioned yesterday, it’s time for a new conference, someone who can actually make it a challenge. Bring on the Big East. guest agrees.


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