When the Nebraska basketball team takes on the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday night, it will be a battle of Top 5 teams.
It's already been a dream season for the Huskers, who are considered by most analysts to be a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament. It's been a very long time since NU wasn't one of those teams waiting until the last day of the season to see if they have a chance at the Big Dance.
Now with 20-0 and No. 5 Nebraska facing off against No. 3 Michigan, it's entirely possible this will be a decisive step towards the Huskers or Wolverines securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That just happens to be something Nebraska fans have never even really dreamed about.
How Nebraska can claim the tiebreaker edge over Michigan in Big Ten race
The Huskers have already set the school and state record for the highest ever ranking in the AP Top 25. Despite usually being behind Creighton in terms of basketball glory, the latest iteration of the Cornhuskers has surpassed anything the Blue Jays have ever done when it comes to regular-season ranking.
When Nebraska and Michigan grapple in Ann Arbor on Tuesday at 6pm, it will also be a big step in the direction of a regular-season Big Ten title for the victor.
The Huskers currently sit alone at the top of the conference standings at 9-0. Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois are tied for second place at 8-1. However, at the moment, NU owns the tiebreakers over the Illini and Spartans thanks to regular-season wins against them. Win on Tuesday, and they'll have a two-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Wolverines.
Despite being undefeated and in first place, Nebraska will enter the game against Michigan as double digit underdogs. Of course, with all the doubters they've proven wrong so far this year, a loss, even to such a good Wolverines squad is not a given.