Big Ten Preview: Ohio State

College football season is approaching and for the next couple of weeks I'll be giving you some quick previews of the Big Ten. All ten....ummm eleven teams will be featured. Today we have the defending champs: Ohio State.

Ohio State has dominated the Big Ten the past few season. They have been to the National Championship game the past two seasons and return 20 of their 24 starters. Tackle Alex Boone, linebacker James Laurinaitis, and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins passed up almost sure first round draft status to return for a shot at the National Championship...well, I guess to win the National Championship, since they've had a couple shots.

Starting quarterback Todd Boeckman is back, as is Heisman hopeful Chris Wells (I will saw my leg off with my fingernails before I call him Beanie). Receivers Robiskie and Hartline are back...shit, everyone worth anything must be back. The real significant loss is DE Vernon Gholston. The rest are easily replaced. Positions of concern for the Buckeyes? Fullback. I feel so sorry for them.

Of course, one of the big stories to watch will be freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. How much playing time will he get behind Todd Boeckman?

Defensively, ten starters return, with only Gholston gone. What is there to predict, but success? If the Bucks don't win the Big Ten this year they should be slapped, laughed at, and slapped again.

Big, huge, giant, Charlie Weis size game in Week Two at USC will be the game of the year in college football. The rest of the non-conference sucks and there are at least four Big Ten teams on the schedule with no chance of beating OSU. They play at Wisconsin and Illinois and have Penn State and Michigan at home.