Michigan critics wanted to see a game like that.

They wanted to really pick a UM performance apart, one in which to poke holes. They wanted the No. 9-ranked Wolverines to show themselves against Nebraska.

Well, they did.

Michigan showed that it had a backbone during its 32-29 win in Lincoln. It showed that, despite some odds, it could pull out a victory and prove that its 5-0 start wasn’t some fluke.

Nebraska made mistakes, costing itself another game against a Big Ten school from Michigan. But that’s the nature of the game. Can’t have two opponents on game day: Yourself and the other guys.

It took a game-winning 39-yard field from Jake Moody, who was 4-for-4 on the night, to cement the victory.

UM coach Jim Harbaugh, for the first time since 2016, is 6-0 and firmly within the Associated Press Top 10.

Quarterback Cade McNamara wasn’t perfect. His downed knee cost the Wolverines a touchdown. His errant passing attempts cost the Wolverines some yards. He missed several times when targeting WR Daylen Baldwin. Yet, McNamara emerged as the winning QB and completed 22 of 38 passes for a season-high 255 yards, just 6 yards short of a career-high total.

The junior threw an interception, his second of the year, but he remained steady in the pocket and helped engineer his team’s first comeback win of the season.

Prior to Saturday, Michigan was 1 of 3 teams that had yet to trail in a game: Georgia and Alabama were in that group but both fell behind earlier in the day, leaving the Wolverines as the last ones standing.

Was Michigan exposed by the Huskers?

Yes.

Any legitimate team with a heartbeat would have reacted the same way as Michigan. A fraudulent team would have folded and allowed the Huskers to regain control after the Wolverines led 13-0 at halftime.

Nebraska showed proved that Michigan still needs work. Michigan further legitimatized itself during the gut-check in Lincoln.

As they sit now, this year’s Wolverines could be on track for something like the 2016 accomplished. Remember, that year Michigan was 9-0 heading into Iowa — a team not on the regular-season schedule this year — and on the brink of a College Football Playoff berth.

Saturday, during the postgame TV interview, McNamara mentioned how he thought this year’s team had something different than those of previous years, at least since he has been at Michigan.

He’s right.

Previous UM teams would have dropped this one in Lincoln. They would have found a way to sabotage their chances. That was Michigan’s modus operandi — choke during big games. It’s not like the Wolverines faced a powerhouse, but Michigan was up against a hungry Nebraska team that has underperformed and needed a signature win. The Huskers have been their own worst enemies this season, and luck — though it swayed  — was absolutely on Michigan’s side during the most critical moments Saturday night.

The joint-possession fumble in the fourth quarter was open to interpretation, as were other calls. Michigan just so happened to have leverage as the offensive team.

Critics might say that Michigan was exposed by Nebraska and is ripe for a loss, and that’s fine. However, others may choose to view the Wolverines’ win as something that will catapult them toward bigger goals down the road. Every team needs a wake-up call on the road.

The close run-in with the Huskers was exactly that for the Wolverines.