Ohio State Buckeyes
2013-14: 25-10 (10-8 Big Ten)
In-conference offense: 1.03 points per possession (sixth)
In-conference defense: 0.96 points per possession (first)
This time last year, we wondered if Ohio State's 2012-13 could be considered a down year. Now we do the same in looking back at last season's team, though the Buckeyes turned out to be pretty much what we thought they were.
That was an upper-echelon Big Ten team dealing with the loss of national player of the year candidate Deshaun Thomas. Lots of veteran talent remained, but who was going to share the offensive load with LaQuinton Ross? Ohio State's defense, led by senior Aaron Craft and junior Shannon Scott, would be stout. The Buckeyes would win big. But with no incoming blue-chip recruit to fill the star void opened up by Thomas' departure, Ohio State seemed to be just shy of national title contention. That's the way it turned out, though the Buckeyes fooled us for a while.