The Big Ten and the ACC meet Saturday in five games. What is this, basketball season?

The matchups include Virginia Tech at Purdue, Pittsburgh at Iowa, Northwestern at Duke, Nebraska at Miami and Illinois at North Carolina. Yes, a few conference powers are missing. But the games matter to both leagues and may even factor as fodder in College Football Playoff discussions this fall.

So, what’s at stake Saturday? We discuss:

Matt Fortuna: Depth has been the biggest thing holding the ACC back during its rapid rise these past couple of seasons. The league has won a national title, has made a number of statements in BCS/New Year’s Six bowls and has, for the most part, gotten the best of its SEC rivals in recent years.

This weekend presents a different kind of challenge. Though none of the matchups figure to include title contenders from either conference, a strong performance Saturday could help the ACC stake its claim to being the deeper of the two leagues.

To the untrained eye, the recent middling years of both Virginia Tech and Miami hold the ACC back from taking another step forward. Having powers like Florida State and Clemson are nice, but the Hokies and Hurricanes are also brand-name programs that could help boost the league’s profile a whole lot more.

The Canes, in particular, have that opportunity Saturday against Nebraska. (Virginia Tech, meanwhile, will do itself and its league no favors if it loses at Purdue.)

Though Tobacco Road plays hosts to the state of Illinois, North Carolina and Duke will look to boost their profiles as well. The Tar Heels might be a brand-name in another sport, but they so often seem to get in their own way on the gridiron, a narrative that won’t change if they can’t beat an Illinois team that is just four weeks removed from a coaching change. The Blue Devils, like their Saturday opponent, Northwestern, have experienced one of the more impressive rises around the country in the past decade. But with so much turnover this season, David Cutcliffe’s squad can prove that it is here to stay with a win against a ranked Wildcats team.

And though nobody will mistake Pitt for an ACC blue-blood, first-year coach Pat Narduzzi can gain plenty of good will from the Panthers’ faithful if he goes into Iowa City and avenges last year’s loss to the Hawkeyes.

Notice a theme here? All five ACC teams mentioned are from the Coastal division, which is widely mocked as the weakest division among Power-5 leagues. Considering that all five of those teams’ Big Ten opponents come from the West division, this weekend should offer a nice opportunity for the Coastal -- and, by extension, the ACC -- to show that it is nothing to be laughed at.

Mitch Sherman: It’s a strange concept just three weeks into a season that followed months of hype about the Big Ten’s first national title in 12 years and a certain splash coaching hire, but the league needs a good showing Saturday.

Despite the presence of Ohio State and Michigan State in playoff contention -- and Jim Harbaugh at Michigan -- the conference started a bit slow this season.

It sits 5-4 against Power 5 competition with additional losses to Brigham Young, Bowling Green, Temple and Marshall.

A poor showing Saturday against the ACC could haunt the Big Ten in December, in particular if a one-loss MSU or OSU is vying for a playoff spot against the ACC champion. The Big Ten won out last season on the strength of the Buckeyes’ season-ending run and confusion over whom to crown in the Big 12.

Don’t count on such a scenario again.

As Matt mentioned, this week squarely pits the ACC Coastal against the Big Ten West. A classic pillow fight? Not so fast. The West, even without title contenders Wisconsin and Minnesota involved, looks strong.

Northwestern’s win against Stanford rates as the best in the West this season. The Wildcats look legit on defense, and Illinois has dominated two inferior opponents with an ultra-productive offense.

Even so, Iowa might rank as the Big Ten’s most pleasant surprise of September. Junior C.J. Beathard has made the offseason quarterback choice of Kirk Ferentz look prescient. The Nebraska offense appears ahead of schedule in a new system. And hey, Purdue won last week for just the fifth time in three seasons under Darrell Hazell.

At stake for the Big Ten? A little respect and the chance to bolster its resume.