If you’re a Michigan basketball fan, Sunday’s overtime thriller against Northwestern probably left you holding your breath, biting your nails, and questioning your life choices—again. The Wolverines narrowly avoided back-to-back disappointing overtime defeats, pulling out an 80-76 victory at home, but not without plenty of drama and a few gray hairs for all of us.

This nail-biter came just days after Michigan suffered an eyebrow-raising loss to Minnesota, the Big Ten’s last-place squad, on a buzzer-beater three in overtime. Michigan was expected to bounce back with authority. Instead, the Wolverines showed up looking more like they hit the snooze button on their alarm clock. They posted their worst shooting performance of the season, connecting on just 36.1% of their shots, including an icy 7-for-27 from three-point land.

But when the Wolverines needed a hero, they didn’t look to the skies; they looked up—way up—to 7-foot-1 center Vlad Goldin. The towering big man was a force, scoring 31 points on 9-for-16 shooting, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, and sinking 10-of-12 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed eight rebounds, solidifying his role as Michigan’s human skyscraper. It marked Goldin’s second 30-point game of the season, who must have exited the court with a pretty sore back from carrying the team.

While Goldin shined, Michigan’s supporting cast was more hit-or-miss—emphasis on the “miss.” Fellow big man Danny Wolf was uncharacteristically quiet, going 0-for-7 from the field and finishing with just four points. Guards Tre Donaldson, Roddy Gayle Jr., and Nimari Burnett combined to shoot a chilly 34% from the floor, leaving fans yearning for some backcourt consistency and wondering where the depth off the bench went that we saw earlier in the season.

The game itself was a rollercoaster of mini-runs and missed opportunities. Every time Michigan seemed poised to pull away, Northwestern found a way to answer — or Michigan gift-wrapped a turnover. The Wolverines, who were the best shooting team in college hoops before Sunday, still boast an impressive 50.6% season mark from the field and 37.7% from three. But on Sunday, they looked more like they were auditioning for a bricklaying contest.

Defensively, Michigan has been a stronghold all season, ranking among the nation’s best. However, key stops have been elusive in the past two games, and Sunday’s chippy affair didn’t do much to restore confidence.

Speaking of chippy, the game featured enough drama to make a reality TV producer jealous. Goldin was whistled for a technical foul in overtime after securing a crucial rebound with 18 seconds left and Michigan up three. A lengthy review determined that his elbow made light contact with a Northwestern player’s face to make the final seconds of the game more uneasy than they needed to be.

Northwestern’s Jalen Leach was also ejected earlier in the game after delivering a low blow to Goldin during a screen—a move that left the big man wincing and fans cringing. At the time, Leach had 19 points and was Northwestern’s best chance at stealing the win, making his absence a major turning point.

With the win, Michigan moved to 14-4 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten but dropped a spot to No. 21 in the AP poll. Northwestern fell to 11-7 and 2-5 in conference play, just one game ahead of Minnesota, whose upset of Michigan days earlier remains a sore spot.

For a team that entered the season with modest expectations, Michigan has exceeded them in style. Of course, in true Wolverine fashion, that success has sent expectations soaring once again. To sustain their impressive run, they’ll need more consistent guard play, tighter ball security, and a killer instinct to close out games when they take the lead.

Up next? A showdown at No. 11 Purdue on Friday. The Boilermakers, 15-4 overall and 7-1 in the Big Ten, sit just ahead of Michigan in the standings. With Michigan State also in the mix at the top of the conference, the Big Ten is shaping up to be a battle royale, and Friday’s game will be a litmus test for how serious Michigan’s title hopes really are.

Rest up, Wolverines—it’s about to get real.