Maybe we were never as good as everyone thought.
Face it, we caught a struggling Michigan State team (once without the B10 POY) at the right time. The wins against Purdue were impressive, sure, but I'm not even convinced Purdue is that great.
Every other opportunity we've had this year to prove ourselves, we've squandered. The epic Iowa State collapse. Losing back to back games to ND and Dayton. Missing an opportunity to beat Maryland on the road. Going toe-to-toe with Indiana then ultimately coming up short.
Then some grind it out wins against horrible opponents (i.e. Minnesota).
I think the stretch in January where we rose to the top of the pack was just a mirage, and maybe this is where the team actually belongs.