Braden Smith, fueled by self-blame, amassed an unprecedented night in an attention-grabbing victory over Michigan.

Purdue set the tone from the opening jump on Friday night. The defensive effort and Braden Smith's impressive night led to a blowout win over Michigan.

West Lafayette, Indiana; Friday, 8 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: No. 10 Purdue faces Indiana after Braden Smith scored 24 points in Purdue's 91-64 victory over the Michigan Wolverines. The Boilermakers have gone 10-1 in home games.

Purdue point guard Braden Smith took Tuesday night’s loss personally. So Friday, he took charge — right from the start. He turned an opening possession

No. 21 Michigan takes on No. 11 Purdue, who is coming off of a home loss, in a clash of two of the best team in the Big Ten.

This past week was separation week in the Big Ten. Nearly half of the conference slate is still to come, but it was clear coming into the week, and even more evident coming out of it, that the results would provide clarity on the state of the conference race.

Braden Smith had 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals to help No. 11 Purdue rout No. 21 Michigan 91-64 on Friday night. Smith was 10 of 17 from the field and had only one turnover in 37 minutes to nearly join Joe Barry Carroll as the only Purdue players with a triple-double.

Here's an updated look at where Big Ten basketball teams sit in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll and AP Top 25 rankings:

Purdue (16-5 overall, 8-2 Big Ten) was led by Braden Smith, who finished with 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Michigan dropped to 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten. Here are Nathan ...

Boilermakers' guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer have made their mark at from the time they stepped on to Purdue's campus. The post Smith And Loyer: Purdue’s Dynamic Backcourt Duo appeared first on Stadium Rant.

Regardless, a similar scenario looms when Indiana (14-7, 5-5 Big Ten) travels to face No. 10 Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) at 8 p.m. Friday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. Once more, an underperforming Woodson roster will attempt to stop a train of Boilermaker momentum.

The Big Ten schedule is nearing the halfway point as January winds down. One team has separated itself at the top of the conference standings, but the league race is far from decided.