Seriously, forget about the last 80 minutes of Spartan basketball. Yes, it was fun to watch MSU beat Wisconsin today and Northwestern on Friday night, but the only game that matters is on Sunday.

You already know what is on the line.

MSU playing against a Michigan team that has had their number this season. A chance to raise a trophy that will say “we are the Big Ten’s best with a full roster.” Tom Izzo even called it Christmas and Fourth of July all wrapped in one.

This goes far beyond your usual rival showdown. There is no secret, as much as people want to deny it, that the Wolverines are catching up to the Spartans' fantastic program. In the last four seasons, MSU has gone a lowly 2-6 against their yellow-clad foes. 

Now, MSU has a chance to turn back that dial. This year's two meetings combined don't mean as much as the Sunday's title game. Yes, the Wolverines walked off the court blowing kisses with bragging rights twice, but none of those earn rings or cut down nets. 

The difference between a win and a loss tomorrow is too huge to ignore, too. 

Win, and the Spartans will take back the trophy, along with the dominance in the Mitten State. MSU will be the alpha dog, and if anyone says differently, Izzo can show them the trophy case.

Lose, and the discussion of U-M closing the gap with MSU becomes all but settled. Playing on Sunday before the NCAA Tournament wears down a team too, as Izzo admitted last week, and traveling home as a tired team with your rival driving off with the hardware doesn't seem too great. 

Rivalry and program legacy talk aside, this game will mean the world for MSU traveling forward in March Madness. 

Any honest MSU player will tell you this team is playing at its highest confidence level in months - you can see it yourself on the court. 

If they beat the No. 1-seeded Wolverines the day after handling one of the nation's hottest teams, that confidence meter will soar through the roof. They will enter the tournament not thinking, but knowing they are the team to beat in the Big Dance.

But lose, and the last two games are just a pair of wins. No bragging rights, no accolades and certainly lowered confidence. 

This isn't just a game tomorrow. It's a chance for MSU to show the state, nation and themselves who they really are.

Matt Sheehan is a State News basketball reporter. Reach him at msheehan@statenews.com.