Big Ten emerging as Basketball powerhouse?

In years past, we have seen the dominating basketball conference be the ACC, led by Duke and North Carolina. Recently it has been the Big East, and their physical play and depth in the conference with teams like Georgetown, Louisville, UCONN, and Syracuse. Now we find ourselves in a situation this year. Though the depth is still relevant in the Big East, the talent has seemed to dwindle a little. The ACC seems to only be a two team conference with a big gap after North Carolina and Duke. Is this the year the Big Ten is able win the Big Ten/ACC challenge? The answer to the question is yes, and not only will they win, but they will win the challenge easily.
Lets begin by looking at the powerhouse teams in the Big Ten, which include Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan, who are all in the top 25 currently. Lets also not forget about Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois, Michigan State, and Indiana, who seems to have finally turned their program around. The second tier of teams I listed are solid programs with a lot of young talent and good coaching. They all have the opportunity to make the NCAA Tourney in March. Michigan St. will eventually find their way back into the top 25. Same goes with Purdue, Illinois and Indiana who will find themselves battling day in and day out with any team in the country. Now we move to the big dogs of the conference. Sure Michigan suffered a tough, unexpected loss to Virginia earlier this week, but they are are also a team who beat a top ten ranked Memphis team at the beginning of the season, and took Duke down to the wire in a tough loss. Michigan is a team that will continue to grow, and with one of the best players in the country in Tim Hardaway Jr, Michigan is built to make a run late in the season. Wisconsin, is
another team that seems to get better and better each year. Led by Jordan Taylor, who ranks with the top point guards in the NCAA, has suffered just one loss which was to North Carolina. The game was thriller as UNC pulled out the 3 point win late in the final minute of the game. Wisconsin can run with the best of them including Big Ten rival Ohio State. Ohio St. in my opinion should have been ranked the #1 team in the nation to begin the year. They arguably have the best player in the nation with big man Jared Sullinger, along with a great supporting cast led by William Buford and Aaron Craft. Ohio State has begun the year undefeated with wins over two top ten teams. They beat the Florida Gators who were ranked #8 and beat Duke by 22 points who was ranked #4 at the time.
With the depth and talent that has emerged in the Big Ten, is there a new power conference in town? The ACC is headlined by two schools, so they are out of the question. The Big East seems to have kept a little depth, but this year they seem to go about 6 deep before there is a drop off in the rest of the conference. One could argue that the Big Ten could end up with 8 to 9 tournament teams this year (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan St, and maybe Minnesota, or Penn St.)

Not saying this is the case, but the Big Ten is for real this year, so hold your horses before naming the Big East the best basketball conference in the nation.