Column: What does 2009 hold for OSU?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - How will Ohio State's football team look next year?

Probably very different because of the absence of some long-time starters.

Twenty-eight seniors will be leaving OSU's program. And it's a strong possibility junior running back Chris Wells also could choose to leave early to enter the NFL draft.

Players like All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis, All-American cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and wide receiver Brian Robiskie have been the face of the program for the last two seasons.

Others, like linebacker Marcus Freeman, offensive linemen Alex Boone, Steve Rehring and Ben Person, tight end Rory Nicol, and defensive lineman Nader Abdallah, have offered a veteran presence.

Laurinaitis, Jenkins, Robiskie, Freeman, Boone, Rehring and Nicol all started more than 30 games in their careers.

Unless someone like wide receiver Brian Hartline or safety Kurt Coleman unexpectedly puts his name into the NFL draft, the Buckeyes should have at least seven returning starters on defense and five on offense.

Underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to make a decision about the NFL.

Whether that returning core and the newcomers will be good enough to keep Ohio State on the national contender, perennial BCS bowl participant level it has enjoyed the last few years remains to be seen.

One thing is certain, the lofty ranking of Ohio State's recruiting class of 2008 will be tested next season.

With all those seniors leaving, as many as eight sophomores could be starters in the fall.

Two of this year's freshman, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and center Mike Brewster, will be returning starters. Linebacker Etienne Sabino and wide receiver DeVier Posey showed flashes of great potential at times this season.

Offensive linemen Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts were expected to be contributors right away but were set back by injuries. If they are healthy next season, they could move into the starting lineup.

And Justin Boren, a starter on the offensive line at Michigan before transferring to OSU, will become eligible next season.

Offensively, the most attention will, as usual, fall on the quarterback. What will Pryor be able to do with a year of college experience? Can he become a threat as a passer as well as a runner or will he still have a long way to go in that area?

Who will be his go-to receiver with Robiskie out of the picture? And even if Pryor does make significant strides will Ohio State have someone in place to formulate a dynamic passing attack?

Defensively, players like linebacker Ross Homan, Tyler Moeller and several of the defensive linemen will have a chance to be on the field more and make a bigger impact.

Most recruiting evaluators rank Ohio State's verbally committed recruits for 2009 among the top five classes in the country.

The talent continues to sign on the dotted line. Whether that talent will be able to compete next season for the things the departing seniors pursued the last few years is up in the air.

But maybe a slight decrease in expectations would be a good thing for a young group early next season.

Try as they might to ignore it, the 2008 team had to know that for many people the just- completed season ended Sept. 13 when Southern California crushed the Buckeyes and their national title hopes.

Expect Ohio State to start out in or near the preseason Top 10. But it will not be ranked as high as it was this season, when it started at No. 2.