By: Jim Naveau (RecoredPub.com)–

COLUMBUS — The standards have been set so high in Ohio State football that it seems like there are only two kinds of off-seasons anymore.

There are the off-seasons where people talk about winning a national championship. And then there are off-seasons where people really, seriously talk about winning a national championship.

Call them a Category One off-season and a Category Two off-season.

With the possibility of as many as 16 starters returning from the OSU team that beat Oregon 26-17 in the Rose Bowl on Friday, the buildup to the 2010 season will definitely be a Category Two.

Expectations will be very high.

It’s not just the fans, either. Even some of the players looked into the future earlier this week and talked about the possibility of doing big things next fall.

Senior offensive lineman Jim Cordle won’t be back in the fall, but he predicted a run at a national title for his younger teammates on the field after the Rose Bowl win.

“This team is young and will be ready to come back next year and win a national championship,” Cordle said.

A few days before the game, junior linebacker Brian Rolle also said a national championship next season had entered his mind.

But he admitted there is a big “if” in talking about getting a shot at a BCS title. Ohio State’s roster appears well stocked with talent in the right places. But that talent level depends at least partially on not having too many underclassmen decide to leave early for the NFL.

“We’ve got guys we’re looking forward to coming back and hopefully they do,” Rolle said. “Next year, if we work hard at it and keep our heads on straight, we could end up in the championship game.”

Rolle says he will be back “most definitely” next season.

The biggest losses to the NFL could come on the defensive line, where juniors Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward haven’t definitely slammed the door on the possibility of leaving early.

“I’m just happy we won. That’s all I can say now,” Heyward said after the Rose Bowl.

Gibson was equally non-committal.

“I’m just savoring the moment. I love Ohio State. I know whatever decision I make will be the right one for me. I love Ohio State,” Gibson said.

If everyone comes back, Ohio State’s returning starters could include its quarterback, top two receivers, all of its tailbacks, four of its starting offensive linemen and its two leading tacklers.

For certain, the Buckeyes will have to replace senior starters Doug Worthington on the defensive line, Austin Spitler at linebacker, Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell in the defensive backfield, tight end Jake Ballard and Cordle at left tackle. Kicker Aaron Pettrey and punter Jon Thoma also are seniors.

Ohio State’s win over Oregon at least temporarily changed its reputation of not winning big games.

That victory also had another beneficial effect for next season. Any team hoping to be in the national championship discussion probably needs to be in the top five, or close to it, in the preseason rankings.

OSU (11-2) was No. 8 going into its win over No. 7 Oregon, so it will probably end this season and begin next season somewhere around the top five.

This year’s BCS title game opponents, Texas and Alabama, were No. 2 and No. 5 in the preseason rankings. Last year’s BCS finalists, Oklahoma and Florida, were No. 4 and No. 5 before the season kicked off.

In Ohio State’s three trips to the BCS championship, it was first (2006), eleventh (2007) and thirteenth (2002).

But that was before one-sided losses to Florida and LSU in championship games. It might need to start higher than that next season to have a chance to get to the top two at the end.