Mid-Week Update

It's a good thing I don't bet on games. While my prediction for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge wasn't that far off, I only correctly predicted 4 of 11 games correctly. There were certainly plenty of surprises in there, with road teams Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Illinois, and Boston College winning. I think if you look for a pleasant surprise for the ACC, it was Boston College, who played short-handed on the road against a tough Michigan team. And for a disappointment, look no farther than Clemson. They blew a 23 point lead at home against an Illinois team that had lost two in a row.

Even though the Challenge is over, there are plenty of great matchups the rest of the week. This weekend is probably the best non-conference weekend of the year. Here's a look at what's on the slate:

Saturday:

UNC at Kentucky - A very tough game for the young Heels, coming off a big win over Michigan State. I expect a letdown against John Wall and final four contender Kentucky.

NC State at Marquette - The Golden Eagles have been pretty good thus far this year. NC State did not play well in a loss to Northwestern and will be hard pressed to pull off a road victory here.

St. John's at Duke - St. John's has been good early on this year but will be facing a Duke team that is upset over the Wisconsin loss.

Wake Forest at Gonzaga - See what I said about good matchups this weekend? Another great one here. The Zags have been really good thus far this year.

Southern Cal at Georgia Tech - USC and the reeling Pac-10 need a big win. They won't get it here.

Sunday:

Florida International at FSU - Nothing to say here.

South Carolina at Clemson - Clemson needs to bounce back against its rival South Carolina.

Miami at Boston College - A conference game this early in the year? Wow. Should be a great game between two surprising teams.

Georgia at Virginia Tech - Hokies look to build momentum from Iowa road win against a Georgia team that is probably the SEC's worst.

Villanova at Maryland - The Terps have struggled a bit but have a great opportunity with a virtual home game against a Top 5 club.

Of the 11 ACC teams playing this weekend, 10 are playing other big conference teams (I count the Zags as a big conference team). Should be a great weekend of games.