The Weekly Word is GoldandBlack.com's weekly, obviously, column covering Purdue football, basketball and recruiting, as well as college sports issues, the true meaning of life, or whatever other topics might come to mind in a given week.

So this might some like a random point to be making in mid-January, but there was no game this week and I need topics, so bear with me.

Last year, the Big Ten enjoyed an unbelievable regular season only to never even need a second set of hotel towels in Indy for the NCAA Tournament.

Purdue was very much part of that fizzling out, after a strong season prior.

Things change during NCAA Tournament play the same way they change during the jump from non-conference season to the Big Ten season.

This year, maybe that could benefit Purdue, though that's a long way off, and there's a long season ahead.

Purdue was an elite team in non-conference play, maybe the best in the country. Soon as conference play started, though, some cracks started showing in that facade. It's not that the cracks only then occurred; it's just that Big Ten play shined a light on them, as can happen when the games get more physical, the coaching gets better, familiarity takes hold and possession numbers drop.