Chances are you thought you were going to take it easy this afternoon ahead of a big New Year's Eve which includes a College Football Playoff doubleheader. You were wrong.
Villanova and Xavier kick off an amazing double-header (with Butler-Providence to follow) for the Big East, and for the Wildcats it's a chance to give the doubters something to think about as they look for a third-straight Big East regular season championship.
While Villanova struggled against Top 5 competition, Xavier was rolling through a very good non-conference schedule to a perfect 12-0 record. They haven't come close to beating Villanova in five tries since joining the Big East, and would like nothing more than to make a statement win to open the conference season.