By: Dave Curtis (SportingNews.com) -
As LSU’s national championship celebration roared through the Superdome, a handful of Ohio State juniors stood naked, showering off another season-ending loss. The past was too painful, so the talk turned to the future: Enter the draft early or take one last shot at a college football title?
“Come to find out,” says cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, one of the showerers, “most of us were already leaning toward coming back. So we were like, ‘Let’s all finish this out together.’ ”

Finishing, as everyone seems to remind these Buckeyes, hasn’t been easy in Columbus. Despite back-to-back outright Big Ten titles, OSU is defined across the country by its national championship game meltdowns against Florida and LSU the past two seasons.

The opportunity to change that legacy helped convince Jenkins, linebacker James Laurinaitis, receiver Brian Robiske and offensive lineman Alex Boone to postpone their NFL paydays. So, too, did conversations with recent alums — from Anthony Gonzalez and Troy Smith to Mike Doss — about how things change in the NFL. The old guys’ message? The money is great, but you’ll miss school way too much.

“A lot of them wish they were back playing college ball,” Laurinaitis says. “People do say, ‘I left early, but I wish I had played all four years.’ You never hear, ‘I stayed, and I wish I had left early.’ ”

With the return of those key players, the Buckeyes remain a top five team and a favorite to win a third straight outright Big Ten title — something no program has accomplished. Laurinaitis and Jenkins head a defense that will get a boost from end Lawrence Wilson, who is returning from a broken leg and will replace first-round NFL pick Vernon Gholston. And junior Chris “Beanie” Wells, a Heisman Trophy candidate who rushed for 1,609 yards last year, will team with senior quarterback Todd Boeckman to lead the offense.

The goal, of course, is another trip to the national title game. This time, though, the Buckeyes hope to celebrate before they shower.

Projected finish

1. Ohio State
2. Illinois
3. Wisconsin
4. Michigan
5. Purdue
6. Michigan State
7. Penn State
8. Northwestern
9. Iowa
10. Indiana
11. Minnesota

Predictions

1. Indiana’s cushy early schedule means 10 Big Ten teams will be bowl-eligible again this season (Keep working, Gophs). At least one will get shut out, prompting league officials to push for the certification of another bowl, likely in Indianapolis.

2. Wisconsin will take out Ohio State at night in Madison, but the Badgers’ national title hopes will end a month later in East Lansing. Both the Badgers and Bucks will end up playing in big bowls.

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