The Ohio St. Buckeyes may not have much to play for in 2012, but they are still expected to be one of the better teams in the country. SB Nation college football guru Bill Connelly has published his first preseason poll of 2012 and he rates the Buckeyes 14th nine months before the season begins. With Braxton Miller returning on offense and Urban Meyer as their new coach Connelly thinks 2012 can be a springboard into 2013:
14. Ohio St. Buckeyes. With no bowl game in their immediate future, Next Year's USC should be excellent on defense, but to end up in the top 15, Urban Meyer will have to figure out how to create something infinitely more consistent out of Braxton Miller and the offense.
The Buckeyes, of course, are ineligible for a bowl game as well as the Big Ten championship game, but they could have a season very similar to USC in 2011. The Trojans won the Pac-12's South Division in dominant fashion, but since they were ineligible for the postseason they missed out on the Pac-12 Championship game.
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