ACC once again proving Big Ten is no challenge

By Zeke Jennings
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Perhaps it's time to come up with a new name for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

After all, wouldn't the Big Ten have to win once in awhile to make it a challenge.

The ACC won four of five games on Tuesday to run its mark to 5-1 in this season's, um, challenge -- the ninth in the series, with the ACC having won the previous eight.

No. 15-ranked Indiana's narrow 83-79 home win over unranked Georgia Tech is the Big Ten's lone win thus far.

Barring the Big Ten sweeping the five games on Wednesday, which is highly unlikely, the ACC will run its series record to 9-0 against the Big Ten in the challenge, which began in 1999.

What's even more alarming for the Big Ten this time around is that three of the six games have been blowouts, including No. 20 Wisconsin's embarrassing 82-58 loss to No. 7 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday.

The bigger Badgers were never in the game. They were frustrated by Duke's guards, frustrated by the referees and frustrated by the Cameron Crazies. Duke led 48-25 at halftime.

Big Ten doormat Northwestern was beaten 94-52 on the road at Virginia in a game most didn't think would be much of a game, but a 42-point loss?

Florida State also easily handled visiting Minnesota 75-61.

Purdue fought valiantly at No. 18 Clemson, losing 61-58 in a game the Boilermakers led at halftime. Iowa also lost a narrow decision to Wake Forest on Monday, although the Hawkeyes were playing at home.

There is at least some hope that the Big Ten can make the final tally at least respectable.

Four of the five games on Wednesday are at Big Ten arenas, although one of them is No. 2 North Carolina visiting an inexperienced Ohio State team.

Michigan State should be able to handle North Carolina State at the Breslin Center, and Michigan has a decent shot at exposing undefeated Boston College in Ann Arbor.

The other games are Illinois at Maryland and Virginia Tech at Penn State, both of which could go either way, although once would have to give the edge to the ACC teams.

Still, even if things go well for the Big Ten tonight, the conference will be lucky to even post a 5-6 record. Chances are, it's not going to be that close.

But that would be fitting since the ACC-Big Ten Challenge hasn't been close either.

Michigan coaching search takes a surprise turn

By Zeke Jennings
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If you enjoy hotstove rumors, there is a good one coming out of Iowa City.

Growing rumors have Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, a native of Royal Oak, Mich., as the new head man at Michigan.

Ferentz's name popped up as a possible candidate once Lloyd Carr announced his retirement, although most felt he would be a second-tier choice if the frontrunners, namely Les Miles of LSU, passed on the job.

Other than Ferentz having a history with current Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman (she was the president at Iowa when Ferentz was hired in 1998), there isn't a lot of reasons to think he would be Michigan's first choice.

After going 1-10 in his first season in Iowa City, Ferentz built the Hawkeyes into a national power, winning 21 games from 2002-04, but hasn't reached anywhere near that success since.

The Hawkeyes have gone 7-5, 6-7 and now 6-6, including a season-ending home loss to a middle-the-pack MAC team in Western Michigan.

Furthermore, Iowa has endured several off-the-field problems under Ferentz's watch, something highly frowned upon by the brass and alumni in Ann Arbor.

There have been numerous player suspensions and dismissals, as well as a scandal involving team members taking advantage of housing set up for low-income families, which included Frentz's son, Brian.

With the infamous Ed Martin basketball scandal still leaving a bad taste in the mouths of university administration, alumni and fans, Coleman and athletic director Bill Martin had better be sure about hiring Ferentz, considering his checkered past.

The Miles factor

What might make the Ferentz rumors a little more believable is the alleged riff between Carr and Miles, a former Michigan player and assistant coach.

If Carr's opinion is as highly regarded by Martin as he says, then the AD may think twice about hotly pursuing Miles, who has long been rumored to be Carr's successor.

When Carr took over for Gary Moeller in 1995 after Moeller was fired, Miles was the only assistant coach who didn't stay on as part of Carr's staff.

There was also an incident involving current LSU cornerback Jai Eugene, who originally committed to Michigan. Obviously, Carr wasn't happy about Miles stealing his recruit, although it's hard to believe that Carr would try and railroad Miles out of the Michigan job based on that alone. It obviously runs deeper than that.

Carr doesn't trust Miles to run the program he loves.

Although I doubt Carr would ever stoop to publicly saying so, it's been questioned if Bo Schembechler would have endorsed Miles.

Only a select few people inside the Michigan family know the answer to that, but Carr is probably one of them.

Carr said during his retirement press conference that he wants the next coach to uphold the tradition that Schembechler has established -- to win with integrity -- something some saw as a direct shot at Miles.

It's questionable that either Ferentz or Miles can live up to those standards the way Schembechler, or even Carr, did, but Miles still seems like the likely choice.

If Ferentz is already the choice, there has been a lot more going on behind the scenes than we realize.