Some fans might be looking ahead to the top-3 matchup against Duke on Saturday, which will be epic. However, in the grand scheme of things, this Purdue game trumps it in terms of importance.
If the newly-minted No. 1 Wolverines win on Tuesday night, they will take a massive step toward securing the Big Ten regular-season championship. Michigan has a two-game lead on Purdue, Illinois, and Nebraska.
Yet, a loss would get those teams back within a game, with another road game looming against Illinois. There are also games against Iowa and Michigan State.