The outcome of last week’s Rose Bowl wasn’t as much a cap to the 2009 season as it was a projection of the talent for 2010.

Both Oregon and Ohio State battled through struggles in the regular season. Now that the dust has settled and the Buckeyes won their first Rose Bowl since 1997, both teams have a clearer vision of the future.

That future is now.

With their strong finishes to the ’09 campaign (obviously, Ohio State’s a tad stronger), both the Ducks and Bucks should start the 2010 regular season ranked near the top of the polls.

Both squads should return the majority of their starters. Ohio State will lose senior offensive lineman Jim Cordle, tight end Jake Ballard, linebacker Austin Spitler, defensive lineman Doug Worthington and safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.

The Buckeyes’ depth along the offensive line should cover up the loss of Cordle, one of the team’s best leaders. Aside from his improbable fourth-quarter catch in the Rose Bowl, Ballard never played an intricate role in the OSU passing game. The leadership provided by Spitler, Worthington and Coleman on defense will, however, be Ohio State’s most difficult replacement.

Still, the Bucks should be a championship contender after finally breaking through their BCS bowl game dry spell.

After his Rose Bowl MVP performance, quarterback Terrelle Pryor looks poised for a much-improved junior season. Plus, OSU returns its plethora of capable running backs, with Dan “Boom” Herron, Brandon “Zoom” Saine and Jordan Hall. Freshman Jaamal Berry, who redshirted this season, could give the offense another dynamic, speedy back.

The only cloud hovering over the Buckeyes’ sunny outlook is the possibility that several current juniors could jump early to the NFL. Ten players filed paperwork to gauge their draft stock, with defensive linemen Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward being the most coveted prospects.

Following the Rose Bowl, Heyward indicated that he’s leaning toward returning for his senior campaign, but Gibson wouldn’t comment. The Buckeyes would be thin along the line without both studs.

For Oregon, little should change from this year to next. The Ducks return the athletes that make their spread offense so effective.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli will enter his junior season, and he’ll have running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner at his disposal. Powerful running back LeGarrette Blount completed his senior year, although his absence could be beneficial to the Ducks, who won’t have the distraction he created receiving an indefinite suspension for landing a right jab to the face of a Boise State lineman during their season opener.

While a Rose Bowl rematch certainly remains a possibility, both teams return enough manpower to merit a preseason ranking near the top of the college football totem pole.
Oregon running back Kenjon Barner didn’t hold back when admitting after Friday’s loss that the National Championship will be in the Ducks’ sights come fall.

“It was good for us to get a taste of this Rose Bowl and get that feeling,” Barner said. “Kind of tough to deal with this loss, but also get that hunger for next year, come back and want the National Championship, want everything, come back and fight.”

The Rose Bowl is the “Granddaddy of Them All,” but won’t be the grand stage that Oregon and Ohio State target to play on a year from now.

 

Taking a look at next year’s BCS Championship contenders

1. Alabama
The Crimson Tide keep their roster virtually intact, with Heisman trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram leading the charge for what will be his junior season. Regardless of how it fares in the BCS Championship game, Alabama should enter the 2010 regular season as the No. 1 team in the land.

2. Ohio State
For once, it will be the offense, not the defense, that should carry the Buckeyes next season. Ohio State returns all but two players on offense, including its entire arsenal of weapons for quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who will be in his junior year and should be riding high after his Rose Bowl MVP performance.

3. Oregon
The Ducks must regroup after falling flat in the Rose Bowl, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Oregon returns dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and speedy running backs LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. The team can continue its fast-paced spread offense, and if it learns how to stop anyone defensively, Oregon will be tough to beat.

4. Boise State

All the Broncos do is win. Entering the Fiesta Bowl, Boise has lost just four games over the past three years. And when they return more starters than any other team in the nation next year, they should continue their victorious ways. Quarterback Kellen Moore should find himself in the Heisman hunt, leading an offense that was nearly impossible to stop during the ’09 campaign.

5. Virginia Tech
The Hokies were ranked in the Top 10 prior to the 2009 season, but lost starting running back Darren Evans to a knee injury and then fell to Alabama in their season opener. Next fall, Frank Beamer’s squad will pair Evans with ACC Freshman of the Year Ryan Williams in the backfield along with emerging quarterback Tyrod Taylor to create one of the more dynamic and athletic offenses in the country.