Officially, the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is a basketball event. But the two leagues will have a miniature version of it on the gridiron this weekend.

It’s probably just coincidental, but there are five games pitting ACC against B1G on Saturday. There’s no telling how they’ll unfold, of course, but here’s a ranking of what we think will be the best ones.

1. No. 24 Northwestern at Duke. This meeting of 2-0 squads almost qualifies for the Friday list of games to watch in the College Football Playoff hunt. That sentence alone speaks volumes about the coaching jobs Pat Fitzgerald and David Cutcliffe have done making their respective programs relevant again. The Wildcats have what would appear to be the best win thus far against Stanford, but the Blue Devils did what the favored team is supposed to do in dispatching Tulane and North Carolina Central.

2. Pittsburgh at Iowa. The Panthers were hit with the loss of star tailback James Conner, but they’ve survived challenges in their first two contests. If you’re not convinced by last week’s win against Akron, keep in mind Pitt lost to the Zips a season ago, so that can only be seen as progress for new head man Pat Narduzzi. The Hawkeyes finished well to get by archrival Iowa State a week ago but must avoid a letdown.

3. Nebraska at Miami. Just over a decade ago, this game would be appointment television. These programs, both of whom are now in new leagues, are trying to recapture their identities and get back to contending for championships. The Hurricanes are 2-0 but untested, while the Cornhuskers bounced back from being the first victims of late BYU heroics to get new coach Mike Riley his first victory in Lincoln last week.

4. Virginia Tech at Purdue. The Hokies have already had one encounter with Big Ten competition. They’re hopeful this one will go a bit better. The Boilermakers don’t figure to be quite at Ohio State’s level, but they at least got into the win column last week against Indiana State after dropping their opener to Marshall.

5. Illinois at North Carolina. The Fighting Illini’s season was off to a rocky start before they took the field following Tim Beckman’s dismissal. So far, interim coach Bill Cubit is making a strong case to keep the job permanently. Illinois has held its first two overmatched opponents to a single field goal. The Tar Heels’ nationally televised opener against South Carolina didn’t go well, but they did get a feel for winning against N.C. A&T last week.

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