Strong and Steady: Michigan State Keeps Chugging Along While Others Flop

College basketball is a strange animal.

One minute a team is hotter than ever, looking invincible as they mangle opponents left and right, and then it happens—it hits the skids and suddenly doesn't appear so valiant.

That's exactly what has happened to teams like Purdue, Texas, and North Carolina in the last few days.

Purdue has dropped three straight contests to Big Ten foes, most recently suffering a loss on the road to a scrappy Northwestern squad, 72-64.

Ohio State pulled off an upset on Keady Court just days earlier on the strength of Evan Turner's 32-point explosion, 70-66. Turner returned from a back injury and gave his mother an impressive show (she was in attendance). Even Robbie Hummel's eight three-pointers in the first half couldn't stop the hungry Ohio State Buckeyes.

Perhaps the game that started the unraveling of the tightly wound Boilermaker squad was its defeat that came courtesy of Wisconsin, 73-66, just 10 days ago.

One of the main components of the Boiler basketball machine is riding pine with an injury, JaJuan Johnson. Johnson's 13.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds are being sorely missed as the Boilers struggle to find a new identity without one of their premier scoring threats.

Texas has looked nearly unstoppable in the last month and a half or so. The No. 1 Longhorns steamrolled through last year's national champion North Carolina Tar Heels 103-90 and then returned the favor to runner-up Michigan State, 79-68, just three days later.

The No. 9-ranked Kansas State Wildcats handed the 'Horns their first loss of the year, 71-62, Monday night.

Next are the North Carolina Tar Heels. The 12-6 Heels are showing their age—they're young!

Who would have thought, even being a young team, that it would put the brakes on its winning streak by dropping three of its last four? The most notable of these losses was dealt to Carolina by the College of Charleston.

Yes, you heard right, the College of Charleston, who earned a new respect from Duke fans by shocking Roy Williams' Heels, 82-79.

No. 18 Georgia Tech put another "L" in the loss column by edging North Carolina 73-71 on Saturday—adding to the disaster that has become the Heels' season.

While the powerhouse teams like North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, and Purdue have been handed losses in the last few weeks, some more than others, one thing is constant—Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans.

Teams that have handled the Spartans in December (North Carolina and Texas) are looking less mighty and very much beatable come March. So why do losses to those teams seem like a positive? The answer is simple: The Spartans haven't reached their peak, while many of these units are on the downswing.

One loss to Kansas State doesn't necessarily put the Longhorns in this category, but it could be the beginning of a slump for Texas. Either the Wildcats are just that good, or there's a problem that needs to be fixed in Austin.

Don't fret, burnt-orange faithful, but don't get complacent with your team either—there's work that still needs to be done if the 'Horns want to take home a national championship.

Just weeks ago Purdue was undefeated, No. 4 in the land, and looked like a viable contender for the Big Ten crown—the race now looks like it'll consist of two teams, Michigan State and Illinois. Feb. 9's duel between the Boilers and Spartans will be a true test of Purdue's worth, and more so a measuring stick for Izzo's Spartans' tournament success.

December losses may not be that big of a deal, but January losses can be. By this time, barring injuries, teams should be tuned in with who they are and playing some of their best ball.

North Carolina looks to be just keeping their head above water right about now. Granted, they lost the heart and soul of their team last year due to graduation and the NBA draft, but Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson couldn't sport the baby blue forever, right? Ed Davis and Deon Thompson can't carry the Heels by themselves, but they can sure try.

It's mid-late January, and Northern Iowa is ranked higher than North Carolina. That's not a typo—just the cold hard facts. Kurt Warner's alma mater is having a dream season at 16-1, but that's another story.

The Michigan State Spartans are emerging as a top-tier team, winning six straight and seemingly reaching their potential when it counts. Texas was the last team to thump Sparty, and that came three days before Christmas. With their newfound leader, Draymond Green, and Izzo "pep talks," the Spartans will be a tough cookie come tournament time.

It's all about hitting the pinnacle of their game at the right time, and the men of Sparta seem to have that under control.