How much the landscape of college basketball can change in just a couple days.

When the weekend started, it was #2 Purdue getting upset that had the polls shifting, and Purdue catching the heat of falling in February against. Even if it was just the third loss of the season for Purdue.

A couple nights later and #1 UConn fell on the road and Purdue once again stands as the team in the country with the best resume even if it doesn't return to the top of the polls after this week.

Purdue will get a chance to show itself as the best team in the country though as it hosts a Rutgers team that has won four of its last five, and is one of the nation's best defenses.

Purdue 23-3 (12-3) will host Rutgers 14-11 (6-8) at 7:00 pm on Fox Sports 1 in Mackey Arena on Thursday night.

When Purdue went to Piscataway to take on Rutgers in a place it hasn't thrived, Purdue did a lot of the things that have cost them games this season and last. Purdue turned the ball over 15 times, and it didn't shoot the ball well from the perimeter. Purdue was just 5 of 19 from three after shooting 40% for the season from three.

It also got out rebounded by Rutgers, 36-32. Usually rebounding is the way Purdue keeps those games close, but instead, Purdue dominated by using its big man inside, Zach Edey, to the tune of 26 points on 12 field goal attempts, and a 19 point scoring effort from its star point guard Braden Smith, who knocked down 3 threes.

It was Purdue's defense that led the way, holding Rutgers to 4 of 16 shooting from three and just 42% from the field. Purdue jumped out to a big lead and led going into the half by 13 points, but the turnovers and extra possessions helped Rutgers make it a game late.

Purdue would win 68-60, but things haven't been easy for a while when Rutgers come to Mackey Arena. Rutgers beat an undefeated, #1 ranked Purdue team in Mackey Arena last season, and beat them the year before to give them its first loss of the season for Purdue.

Can Rutgers continue that trend and give Purdue its first losing streak of the season?

After sitting out nearly two years from an Achilles injury, Jeremiah Williams hasn't taken long to make an impact on the court as a Rutgers transfer once he was ruled eligible to play by the NCAA, finally.

Williams wasn't available to Rutgers in the first game between Purdue and Rutgers, a 68-60 win by Purdue on the road. Williams is a big guard who provides scoring, play making, and rebounding - the scoring in particular is something this Scarlet Knights roster was starving for.

Williams scored 10 in his debut, playing 30 minutes, and looked like someone who had kept himself fresh and ready as he participated in practices with the team since the summer. Pikiell's decision to take advantage of the eligibility immediately paid off with four straight wins for Rutgers. He's the Rutgers leading scorer since returning.

But some of that shine washed away with Rutgers losing its last game on the road to Minnesota, 81-70.

"He's a staple," Matt Painter said about Williams impact on Rutgers and what he adds to the team. "He's a guy that's gonna get in there and stay in because he's a good defensive, big guard. He also gives them more of an offensive punch."

That added length and defense could be a concern for Purdue who has struggled against Rutgers in the past because of the pressure and size Rutgers plays with not just inside, but around the perimeter. In the teams first meeting, Rutgers both frustrated and forced turnovers and out rebounded Purdue - something not many teams can say they've done in the last few years. A Rutgers strength has gotten stronger and the program is no stranger to going into Mackey and winning.

Rutgers gave Purdue its first loss last season, at Mackey Arena, in one of the two straight upsets of a #1 Purdue team by Rutgers.

The narrative around Purdue after losing to Ohio State was a bit of a strange one considering the #3 Boilermakers, with the loss, are 9-1 in its last ten games. Before its last loss, Purdue won seven games in a row. Before the first loss of the season, Purdue won its first seven games of the season.

"Winning over a course of time will soften you a little bit," Matt Painter said on Wednesday. That softening showed itself the game before in Purdue's first half against Minnesota, when Purdue went into the half trailing the Golden Gophers by 8. "It'll kinda creep in and let you believe that some of the mistakes that you're making are okay."

It caught up to Purdue on the road in Columbus when turnovers, poor shot selection, and selective defense showed again for a Purdue team that has a history of losing when two of those things collide.

"Everybody sharpens their pencils after a loss," Painter went on to say. "As a coach, you try to do those things so you continue that streak, and you know what's creeping up."

But as Lance Jones told me a bit before that, the players didn't expect to go undefeated on the season even if it was their goal. Its part of the maturation to know that Purdue won't be perfect, and that they have to keep their aggressiveness and confidence up while taking care of the ball more and playing harder.

Purdue will now get to try and fix those rights, to get sharper, and it helps it will get to do that at home.

After Purdue's loss, Matt Painter said he needed more production from his bench. That can spread to the starters around Lance Jones, Braden Smith, and Zach Edey as well.

Fletcher Loyer in particular is having a rough last few games. Against Ohio State, he was 1 of 7 from the floor, and got up just one three-point attempt. Painter wasn't happy with his team's shot selection in the first half, and a lot of that was Loyer getting caught in between a drive and a shot and throwing up high difficulty floaters.

Loyer's lack of production has stretched into the last few games. Against Minnesota, Loyer was just 1 of 5 from the field for 3 points in 25 minutes. He was 1 of 6 against Indiana in Purdue's dominating win against its rival, in 26 minutes of action.

The three-game skid looks eerily familiar to Loyer's struggles last February where the then true freshman struggled physically after suffering a calf strain that he played through the end of the season.

Loyer's lack of scoring stands out when Purdue's bench gives Purdue just 4 points as it did against Ohio State. The usually reliable Mason Gillis had just 2 points, and Camden Heide was the only Boiler to score off the bench.

Ethan Morton, one of Purdue's most important defensive stoppers, hasn't scored in the last five games despite playing 69 minutes in those games. His season-high is just 5 points, something he reached in the first game of the season.

True freshman Myles Colvin has played in the last two games without getting a shot up.

Zach Edey and Braden Smith are so good that Purdue doesn't need all of these guys to put up points - just one or maybe two, and Purdue becomes pretty much unstoppable on offense. Purdue's offense lost confidence at this time last season.

Rutgers, one of the best defensive programs in the country, will offer Purdue a chance to test and prove to themselves that this team's offense isn't going away as March calls.