Is the Third Time the Charm for the Ohio State Buckeyes?

The folks in Ohio certainly hope the old saying 'third time's a charm' holds true, as their 2008 Ohio State football Buckeyes look to start their journey to their third consecutive BCS National Title Game.

The skeptics and doubters have all the right to hate on Ohio State: "Too slow, too boring, can't touch the SEC."

However, All-American LB James Laurinaitis and CB Michael Jenkins don't care about that. Passing up millions of dollars of what would have surely been first round draft picks, Lauranatis and Jenkins shocked the collegiate football world by returning for their senior seasons in Columbus.

They did it all for one thing: a national championship. A team that returns all but two starters on defense and has a quarterback in Todd Boeckman that finally has some big-game experience under his belt, Ohio State was easily the pick among coaches to win what would be their fourth consecutive conference crown.

Led by big bruising back Chris 'Beanie' Wells, a former No. 1 running back recruit out of high school in 2006, the Buckeyes look to continue their success on the ground. Buckeye legend and college football's only two-time Heisman trophy winner Archie Griffin has compared Beanie to the great Jim Brown.

The Buckeyes' air attack should remain solid with the two leading receivers back, Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. One thing that might spice up this 2008 offense which the 2007 team did not showcase is the arrival of one of the most highly-touted recruits in college football history, Terrelle Pryor.

A dynamic dual-threat quarterback from Western Pennsylvania who has been compared to Vince Young on numerous occasions, Pryor will play the backup role behind starter Todd Boeckman.

However, it is very likely that Pryor will see the field, playing a role very similar to that of Tim Tebow in 2006 with then-starter Chris Leak.

Up front, big guys Alex Boone and Steve Rehring are back.

Aside from the offense and defense, the special teams will be once again a strong point for Tressel's team.

Overall, this Buckeyes team returns a ton of talent and is once again a virtual lock to win the conference, providing they stay healthy. It should come as no surprise that they are being considered once again as a true national title contender.

Yes, the Buckeyes are 0-9 all-time vs. SEC opponents in bowl games. And yes, the Buckeyes have trouble at defending the spread offense.

But one can only think certain adjustments will be made with the very motivated team that returns so much experience and talent.

For now, we're all just holding our breath until Sept. 13, when the college football world will have their eyes glued to the set as the Buckeyes travel to Los Angeles to play the USC Trojans, college football's most successful program in the past eight years. 

Until then, expect the haters to hate on.