Eight Mid-American Conference teams will take on opponents from the Big Ten this weekend, leading some to bill it as the "Big Ten-MAC Challenge."
It doesn't have a fancy logo or special TV contract like the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, which pits all 11 Big Ten men's basketball teams against ACC opponents, but this weekend still means a lot to the MAC teams looking to score a season-defining upset.
Ball State is taking part in the spontaneous Big Ten-MAC Challenge when it travels to No. 18 Iowa on Saturday. It is the second consecutive week Ball State will play a Big Ten team after losing 24-13 to Purdue last Saturday.
Coach Stan Parrish said playing back-to-back weeks against schools from a Bowl Championship Subdivision conference isn't easy.
"It's very difficult on our team," he said. "We're playing against a team that talent-wise is top five."
Playing Big Ten teams guarantees the game will be on TV because of the Big Ten Network. Six MAC teams will be on the Big Ten Network on Saturday, including Ball State. Bowling Green's game at Michigan will be shown on ESPN2 and Eastern Michigan's visit to No. 2 Ohio State will be aired by ABC.
While getting on TV helps attracts future players, losing by a wide margin isn't such a good recruiting tool. So far this fall, the MAC is 0-5 against Big Ten opponents, losing by an average of 20.2 points. Only Temple has defeated a BCS school this season, beating Big East member Connecticut 30-16 last Saturday.
The MAC coaches know getting at least one victory this week would be a win for the whole conference.
"Our conference needs to prove that we can go out and beat and compete with those teams," Kent State coach Doug Martin said. "We've made dramatic strides here."
Kent State had a chance Saturday but lost to No. 23 Penn State 24-0.
Playing Big Ten teams also represents an opportunity to make a lot of money for MAC schools. Ohio State paid $850,000 for its 43-7 victory against Ohio last weekend, and Kent State took in $475,000 for its trip to Penn State.
Ball State will receive $800,000 for its game at Iowa and at least as much for a return visit Sept. 6, 2014.
"$800,000 is very important to our athletic program," Parrish said. "We all know that."
With or without the money, however, most MAC coaches are just looking forward to seeing how well their teams stack up with some of the best in the nation and preparing for conference play.
"We've got to be at our very best and we will be," Parrish said. "The venue there will really help us down the road because playing Purdue and Iowa back to back helps young players grow up."
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