There's no two ways about it, if Michigan basketball wanted to win the Big Ten title, it needed to beat Nebraska.
The idea of being two games down, going to East Lansing, wasn't a pleasant thought. For much of the game, that's where it felt like things were headed.
Nebraska hit 10 3-pointers in the first half and was up by 11 points at one point. Despite perimeter shots not falling, Michigan kept attacking and earned 24 free-throw attempts. The Wolverines made 70 percent of their 2-point attempts, compared to 56 percent for Nebraska.
The Huskers also made just one second-half 3-pointer. Nebraska was down two of its top players in Braden Frager and Rienk Mast, but a top-five win is a top-five win. Here three observations.
Another cold-shooting night
When Michigan goes cold, the Wolverines really go cold. Yaxel Lendeborg was 0 for 6 from beyond the arc. Nimari Burnett was 0-for-5. Michigan basketball shot 22 percent from 3-point range against Ohio State, and 23 percent against Nebraska.
That number has to improve on Friday against Michigan State, or it could spell doom. It's hard to see Michigan making 20-something percent at MSU and finding a way to win.
Same-old formula
There was no need to panic when Nebraska was burying 3-pointers. Basketball is a game about averages. The Huskers were always going to come back to the mean, and they did.
Fred Hoiberg only played seven guys all night. That caught up with them late, and Nebraska really missed two of its best finishers, Mast and Frager.
Michigan took advantage. The Wolverines shot 70 percent from 2-point range. Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, and Yaxel Lendeborg combined to make 11 of 12 2-point shots. Nebraska has averaged a plus-13 on 2-point percentage this season. On Tuesday, they were minus 13.
Michigan also made 19 free throws. The Huskers gave up 14 on average, so that was another factor that played in the Wolverines' favor.
Worrisome trends
Turning the ball over 19 times before the Michigan State game is worrisome. The Spartans dominated both games last season, in part due to offensive rebounding.
Michigan struggled to make shots against the Spartans in those two games last season. The roster is almost entirely different, but after back-to-back games shooting under 25 percent from three, it's fair to be concerned.
The turnovers are also a problem. You can't give Michigan State extra possessions via rebounds or turnovers. They will make you pay.
So in order to knock off the Spartans on Friday, Michigan needs to clean up the turnovers and find a way to start hitting 3-point shots again.