Big East Big Five: Week 2

We had to pick and choose our spots last week for a three-day long Big East Big Five, but things are much more impressive this time around.  We've got two ACC teams, a Big 12 team, and a Big Ten team, plus the two time defending champions and preseason favorite from the Southland.

Last Week: 5-0
Overall: 5-0

Tuesday, November 18: Marquette at #20 Ohio State (6:30pm Central, ESPN2) - The Golden Eagles make their first appearance on the ESPN family of networks of the season as they travel to Columbus in a rematch of last year's horror show.  It's the first big stage test for Steve Wojciechowski, as his MU squad takes on a Big Ten team as part of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon.

Wednesday, November 19: Creighton vs #18 Oklahoma (7pm Central, Fox Sports 1) - The Jays are already 2-0 on the year after weekend wins over Central Arkansas and Chicago State.  Oklahoma comes in with a 1-0 record, and this will be the only true road game of the Sooners' non-conference schedule.  It's a big moment for both squads, as Creighton gets a chance to take down a ranked opponent in the comfort of the C'Link, and OU would love to bolster their profile with a road win.

Friday, November 20: Xavier vs Stephen F. Austin (7pm Central, Fox Sports 2) - It's always a good plan to schedule the expected favorites in the lower echelon conferences, as is the case with the Southland Conference.  But this is an especially adept move by the Musketeers, as the Lumberjacks are also currently a top 100 KenPom team.  It might not be easy sledding (74% chance to win), but that has the possibility of shaping up to be a strong marker for both Xavier and the Big East come tournament time.

Saturday, November 22: Providence vs Florida State (1:30pm Central, ESPN3) - We wrap up the Big Five this week with two games from the Friars. I don't exactly know how PC got themselves wrangled into the Hall Of Fame Tip-Off where they play two ACC teams on consecutive days, but that's what's happening.  In fact, they're playing four games this week, including three in four days.  This will be the third game of the week for Ed Cooley's squad, and this will be a nice test for them against a team that projects as a middle of the pack ACC squad.

Sunday, November 23: Providence vs Notre Dame (1:30pm Central, ESPN2) - Exactly 24 hours later, the Friars get to tangle with another middle of the pack ACC squad in the Irish.  Of course, Providence and Notre Dame have a deeper history than PC and FSU, and it will be interesting to see how the Friars respond to this heavy workload.  The Irish are already 2-0 on the season, and Jerami Grant appears to have picked up right where he left off at the time of his academic suspension last season.