The Wolverines face an opponent they have battled many times over the years.

No, the subject in question is not the Indiana Hoosiers. Terry Hoeppner brings his team to Ann Arbor this week, but the Hoosiers are not Michigan's chief concern.

The big problem is looking past Indiana to the regular-season finale against Ohio State.

The showdown with the Buckeyes is the make-or-break game of nearly every season. The game immediately preceding OSU is a potential trap game. The Wolverines traditionally vow not to fall into that trap and they have a history of coming through in this game over the years.

Take last year, for example. The Wolverines hosted Northwestern before going to Columbus and Lloyd Carr's team took care of business with 42-20 victory. The Wolverines haven't lost the week prior to the Ohio State game since dropping a 29-17 decision to 11th-ranked Penn State in 1996.

The Hoosiers are 4-5 this year and far from being ranked among the nation's top teams like the '96 Nittany Lions. Michigan hasn't lost to an unranked team the week before facing Ohio State since dropping a 20-17 decision to Minnesota in 1986.

Michigan benefited from its bye week and should have RB Mike Hart and LB Lamarr Woodley back in the lineup for this game. Hart has run for 573 yards and four touchdowns thus far and he takes quite a bit of pressure off of QB Chad Henne. Henne has completed 160-of-279 passes for 1,859 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Look for the offense to set the pace early in the game against the Hoosiers. If Michigan can open an early lead, Carr may give his regulars some time off to prepare for Ohio State. But not until the game against the Hoosiers is safely tucked away.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Balance has been the name of the game for the Wolverines this year. QB Chad Henne has not been as spectacular as he was as a freshman, but he has thrown 16 TD passes and has completed 160-of-279 passes. WR Jason Avant has already caught 65 passes and may be as good as Braylon Edwards by the time he is finished with his college career. The RB position will get a boost when Mike Hart returns from his ankle injury. Indiana's defense played with toughness for a half against Minnesota last week before falling apart in the third quarter.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Wolverines played a spectacular defensive game in limiting Northwestern to 17 points and holding the Wildcats to four first downs and no points in the second half. Michigan's defense has performed better than expected this year and ranks third in the Big Ten, allowing 355.1 yards per game.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "They have been outstanding in time of possession. They have been outstanding on third down which is really our big concern with the Indiana team, getting them off the field. To do that, we have to do a good job on third down defensively. And I think they have more than anybody else in the Big 10, they have tried to convert on fourth down, so they're the kind of team that wants to keep the ball and protect their defense. I think Terry Hoeppner has done an outstanding job." -- Head coach Lloyd Carr on the play of the Hoosiers this season.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: vs. Indiana, Nov. 12 -- The Wolverines are surging, having won three games in a row over Penn State, Iowa and Northwestern. Confidence has been restored and the Wolverines should be prepared and rested following their bye week. While there is always the danger of overconfidence and looking past the Hoosiers since the Wolverines host Ohio State Nov. 19, they have performed well in these situations through the years.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: RB Mike Hart -- He has run for 573 yards, but has had injury problems this year. He appears to have recovered from a sprained ankle and should be able to supply Michigan with a top-notch running game.

RB Jerome Jackson -- Hart's backup had 24 carries for a career-best 105 yards (4.4 avg.) in the 33-17 win over the Wildcats. Jackson has impressed Lloyd Carr and RB coach Fred Jackson with his effort, attitude and talent.

PK Garrett Rivas -- He was a career-best four-of-four (26, 19, 38, 28) on field goals against Northwestern. Rivas is 17-of-22 on FG attempts this season and has been named a semifinalist for the Groza Award that goes to the nation's best placekicker.

CB Grant Mason -- He leads the team with 71 tackles and he also has two TFL and two interceptions. Mason has become one of the better all-around defensive backs in the Big Ten.

ROSTER REPORT: Running back Mike Hart (ankle) and defensive lineman LaMarr Woodley (arm) are probable against Indiana. Wide receiver Adrian Arrington (ankle) is sidelined indefinitely. Offensive lineman Grant DeBenedictis (knee) is expected to miss the entire season. Defensive back Ryan Mundy (shoulder) is expected to miss the remainder of the season.